Hi Colin, Looks like you were lucky, and not wishing to repeat previous posters helpful replies, but looking at the picture of your set-up it looks to me from the shadow cast on the bit that you are taking off more than a skim cut, more like 1/2 or more of the dia of the bit, and doing this without push downs applied nor a pressure guide holding the workpiece against the fence is bound to end in tears. Depending on the power rating of the router I'd have thought that a 1-2mm full depth cut with a bit that size would be more appropriate.
I don't use a router table but do have a large spindle moulder and I always use spring loaded hold downs and pressure pads both for safety and to achieve a more consistent finish, along with push sticks.
One other safety aspect worth adopting is to never stand directly inline with either the infeed or outfeed so that if for any reason - be it a knot or gnarly grain if the bit digs in and ejects the workpiece at high speed you are not in the firing line - this is usually at the level of your privates.....
In my earlier years I had a close call when using a home-made router table with hold-downs but no push-sticks and I hit a knot in the workpiece, the wood was launched through the machine at high speed and my left hand (I'm predominantly left-handed) lifted out the way, however my right hand followed through and my ring finger passed through the bit resulting in a near total loss of the nail bed and a cut down to the bone, resulting in a visit to casualty...
I have been a lot more safety conscious ever since...!
