Corset
Established Member
Read this and though of the turner sction very sad news Joiner dies in 'absolutely tragic accident' at workshop
Sad news
- Thread starter Corset
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
raffo
Established Member
Sad indeed. Would a face shield have saved this man? The piece of wood that struck him was forcefull enough to fracture his skull.
That is just a very sad accident, but how many others put themselves into just that situation and have never thought of the potential outcome ? A face shield might not have prevented the impact but it could well have deflected the object or just absorbed enough of the energy to reduce the outcome from being fatal. Maybe it would be possible to work behind a perspex shield but none of us like things that get in the way.
Very sad, and a salutary lesson for all of us. It would be interesting to know what wood it was and what size the blank was .
A guy in my club was killed in the same way. He was found dead by his wife when he didn’t go in for his tea.
A guy in my club was killed in the same way. He was found dead by his wife when he didn’t go in for his tea.
Last edited:
Orraloon
Established Member
Always sad for those involved and a huge loss for their loved ones.
For the rest of us it's a lesson to keep in mind when operating woodworking machines. Operating other things as well the car is likely the biggest killer on the planet.
Regards
John
For the rest of us it's a lesson to keep in mind when operating woodworking machines. Operating other things as well the car is likely the biggest killer on the planet.
Regards
John
unless we know exactly what happened, what was he turning and how big was it and how was it attached to the lathe, then it is difficult to learn anything.
I have had a few things come loose, but none have done so in a spectacular way, and when I have had some big bits on the machine I have been a bit paranoid with safety.
I have had a few things come loose, but none have done so in a spectacular way, and when I have had some big bits on the machine I have been a bit paranoid with safety.
Allen Quay
Established Member
Oh man, very sad news indeed 
Would anyone happen to know if there's a way of getting more detailed information about what he was turning and possible reasons why it came apart? I'm not into wood turning, but I know others who are. Just wondering if there are any new lessons which the woodworking community could learn from this family's tragic loss. Is the Health and Safety Executive likely to have more detailed information about the piece of wood that he was working on?
Would anyone happen to know if there's a way of getting more detailed information about what he was turning and possible reasons why it came apart? I'm not into wood turning, but I know others who are. Just wondering if there are any new lessons which the woodworking community could learn from this family's tragic loss. Is the Health and Safety Executive likely to have more detailed information about the piece of wood that he was working on?
Orraloon
Established Member
You'r second paragraph more or less sums up what I was getting at. We dont always know when a blank will come apart but we should be aware that it can happen. Risk assess each job and try as much as possible to keep out of the line of fire.
Regards
John
A professional woodturner friend had a large laminated blank (laminated by the customer,) separate while he was turning it and it knocked him down but luckily he wasn't badly hurt. He would only turn pieces laminated by himself after that. (He has a very large industrial machine). Though I have a lathe, I only ever turn relatively small pieces and leave the big stuff to the professionals.
niall Y
Established Member
This is a very sad tale and a salutary lesson to us all. One doesn't expect to be killed at work, but sadly it does happen. i remember a conversation with a GLC ( Greater London Council ) school woodwork inspector, many years ago .He told me that they had to ban the turning of glued up work on the lathe. This was in response to one of their colleagues having been killed while watching a demonstration in one of their school woodwork rooms.
I have always thought that woodwork machines allow you to do a lot more damage at a lot quicker rate, as opposed to doing things by hand. A hand saw won't cause as much damage as a circular-saw. And I can't see a pole lathe causing as much damage as motorised one.
I have always thought that woodwork machines allow you to do a lot more damage at a lot quicker rate, as opposed to doing things by hand. A hand saw won't cause as much damage as a circular-saw. And I can't see a pole lathe causing as much damage as motorised one.
My opinion on this is as allways SAFETY FIRST.
My lathe can turn at 3000 rpm , Do I ever turn at that speed , No I don't .
Do I ever turn cracked of split wood . No I don't.
Do I ever turn items with big limbs or branches sticking out , No I don't.
Do I ever turn square bowl blanks into round on the lathe. No I don't , Allways cut the 4 corners off first.
I do look at a lot of Youtube videos and cringe at some of the content , It frightens me that they can post things like this.
Stay safe people.
My lathe can turn at 3000 rpm , Do I ever turn at that speed , No I don't .
Do I ever turn cracked of split wood . No I don't.
Do I ever turn items with big limbs or branches sticking out , No I don't.
Do I ever turn square bowl blanks into round on the lathe. No I don't , Allways cut the 4 corners off first.
I do look at a lot of Youtube videos and cringe at some of the content , It frightens me that they can post things like this.
Stay safe people.
Keith 66
Established Member
The article says three pieces of wood had separated, so it was probably a segmented job. Other than that not enough info. To do that damage it must have been overspeeding though.
In my last job as a D&T technician we were told during data training never to use glued up blanks, no real reason being given other than "it was dangerous" , I did have a big dig in when turning a 6" dia bowl (solid timber) & that threw a big chunk across the workshop.
Another good reason to wear a decent face shield respirator.
In my last job as a D&T technician we were told during data training never to use glued up blanks, no real reason being given other than "it was dangerous" , I did have a big dig in when turning a 6" dia bowl (solid timber) & that threw a big chunk across the workshop.
Another good reason to wear a decent face shield respirator.
clogs
just can't decide
Like Blister
I'm worried about the lumpy bits of timber turned on a lathe to start with.....esp on uTUUBE.....
OK for profs and for arty bowls etc....
but u see a rough old log turned smooth to make a vase......!!!!!!!!
and always too fast in the begining......lathes vibrating.....not good for the bearings anyway.....
just seems crazy to me......
I'm worried about the lumpy bits of timber turned on a lathe to start with.....esp on uTUUBE.....
OK for profs and for arty bowls etc....
but u see a rough old log turned smooth to make a vase......!!!!!!!!
and always too fast in the begining......lathes vibrating.....not good for the bearings anyway.....
just seems crazy to me......
ey_tony
Established Member
It's only in recent years that I've used machines regularly as I always did most everything by hand but on the occasions I have done, I've always used a visor to protect my face and eyes and it's amazing just how much debris it deflects albeit so far, not as large as the piece that sadly killed the unfortunate worker. However, any face/head protection has got to be better than none when using machines.
I learned my lesson about eye protection back in 1988 when I was chopping some concrete rendering off an internal wall during some alterations when a minute fragment of metal from the geological hammer I was using hit me in the eye and it took several visits to the eye hospital to remove it which unfortunately couldn't put right the scarring on my eye which still affects my sight to this day. I should have known better and even had eye protection available but like a fool I didn't use it.
These days, when I use my machines be it lathe or whatever, the last thing I do before pressing the on switch is to put on either eye or complete face protection.
I learned my lesson about eye protection back in 1988 when I was chopping some concrete rendering off an internal wall during some alterations when a minute fragment of metal from the geological hammer I was using hit me in the eye and it took several visits to the eye hospital to remove it which unfortunately couldn't put right the scarring on my eye which still affects my sight to this day. I should have known better and even had eye protection available but like a fool I didn't use it.
These days, when I use my machines be it lathe or whatever, the last thing I do before pressing the on switch is to put on either eye or complete face protection.
thetyreman
Established Member
sad story, just goes to show how important health and safety is whether it be in a home or professional workshop
Similar threads
