Safety is an attitude

[wareagle]

I have a few rules in my shop that are not open for discussion. They are set in stone, and they are followed. By anyone in the shop. Period.

One of those rules is that everyone that walks through the doorway of my shop will put on a pair of safety glasses, regardless of whats going on. I have twelve pair by the door, and I keep them clean and ready for use. It has created some colorful discussions when someone has refused, but I don't and won't budge on the rule(s) for anybody. And a few have been escorted out the door when the rules aren't followed!!


A good friend of mine called me this evening with some bad news. He was cleaning up a rusty piece of metal on a bench grinder with a wire wheel. He was wearing safety glasses and a face shield, but his neighbor who had just dropped in to visit wasn't wearing any protective eyewear. Apparently a wire departed the wheel and found his neighbor's eye, and as a result of the injury he has lost his left eye. When the doctors asked why he wasn't wearing any eyewear, his response was that he had never needed glasses before!

So, be mindful that even if you are taking all of the nessecary precautions in keeping yourself safe, not everyone that walks into your shop realizes the dangers that lurk there. My buddy feels horrible about what happened. He's in the phase of running the what-ifs through his head, and admitted to me tonight that he thought I was a hard ass about safety rules in my place, but realizes now it is because I care about everyone's well safety and well being.


Hard ass? So be it. I may be, but I will do everything I can to make sure my guests walk out the same way they walked in! And it starts at the door!!

 

[steamer]

Well Put!

Dave

 

[pelallito]

Wareagle,
I am sorry to hear about that accident.
I just took a safety class that opened my eyes. (no pun intended)
I have to wear glasses all of the time and I always thought that they would protect me. In the class they discussed the difference between regular glasses and safety glasses. Regular glasses are designed to be good looking and light weight. Safety glasses are designed to take impact and still protect you. I am getting both safety glasses and face shields for my shop. I will copy your procedure and have them by the entrance of my shop and make them mandatory to wear.
Regards,
Fred

 

[rake60]

We hate to hear of accidents like this!
They happen too frequently.

Rick

 

[Tin Falcon]

Wow Casey:
What a wake up call for all of us.I do my best to work safe and promote safety.
I do not even think about wearing safety glasses.I put them on when I get up in the morning and take them off when I shower or go to bed. I also have face shields I use in the shop.
My wife is also pretty good as far as basic safety in the shop. My son on the other hand has to be reminded.
I wish i had a camera the other day. two guys on a street corner operating a concrete saw no sign of hearing protection or respiratory protection not sure about safety glasses OSHA would have loved a photo.
Tin

 

[wareagle]

I talked to my buddy this morning, and he is literally ill over the incident. He said he can't sleep, and the whole thing is just eating him alive. I really feel bad for him, and also know I would feel the same if someone were injured in my place. I am going to hook up with him this evening and let him use me as a sounding board. Its about all I can do for him at this point, which sucks!!

Its funny how times change. When I was growing up, I never wore any kind of protection when I was working in my dad's shop. And I can't tell you how many times I had to dig stuff out of my eyes, or went to bed with my ears ringing. Heck, I remember burning my eyes one night while there was a bunch of welding going on. Safety wasn't a part of the culture back then. It's a wonder I survived! These days, I feel naked without safety glasses on.


The moral of this whole story really isn't just about wearing safety glasses, but it is that we all have to maintain situational awareness at all times. The dangers we face on our chosen hobby lurk in every part of our shops 100% of the time. We have to think about how each individual task that we perform could hurt us, and anyone around us or our euipment. Anything less is asking for an accident.

Think safety about every thing, every time... One moment of inattention, and the result could be fatal!!

 

[tmuir]

I wish i had a camera the other day. two guys on a street corner operating a concrete saw no sign of hearing protection or respiratory protection not sure about safety glasses OSHA would have loved a photo.
Tin

Some people just don't get it and won't until they are hurt or see someone else hurt unfortunately.
A few weeks back I had my national OHS manager come for a visit.
I was having a cable pt replaced in my carpark at the time and I made a big deal of warning my contractors to do everything by the book and follow all OHS proceedures as our National OHS manager WILL come and inspect them working.

SO of course when we go outside the reinstators are opeating a gas powered brick saw in the middle of my car park with no guarding around the worksite, no spotter to make sure he doesn't get run over, no safety glasses, no ear protectors and no gloves, but he was wearing a safety vest. :big:

What really got me though is when he got a taking to about it he got angry at us and told us he knew the OHS policies.
He was given a written repramand by his boss and then on another worksite the next day for someone else did the same thing. Some people just won't listen to reason unfortunately but you can guarentee if he is ever injured he will be the first to put his hand out for workers compensation.

 

[Dhow Nunda wallah]

Worker's comp? Yep, they'll all stick their hand out.
There is still some onus on the worker to look after his/er own safety.

Let's keep this on an amateur basis.
I know a lot of deaf machinists, I don't know any blind ones.

Like others here, I put on PC safety specs/ sunglasses, after I get out of the shower and don't take em off 'til I go to bed
And, yup, wire brushes are dangerous gadgets at 3KRPM!

 

[tmuir]

LOL

Thanks for the laser safety sign. :big:
I look after a large telecommunications Node and data centre and will stick that up in my colleages office for a bit of a laugh.

 

[Maryak]

Hi All,

Read all the info with interest and was saddened by the poor guy and his friend losing an eye whilst visiting.

In my box I try to always work safely and I still have all my bits, (broke a couple on the way through), but they are all still attached and working.

I have made up a notice which I intend to post at the door in the morning. :bow:

 

[BAH101]

Very much so an attitude. Just today I saw an 22 year old (freshly) licensed aircraft engineer grinding away with no glasses or faceshield, and when I mentioned it he just shrugged it off.
About 5 years ago, I was washing an engine deck out with a strong soap solution when I flicked a small drop into my eye. I went straight for the eyewash bottle and emptyed it and though all was well. When I looked up about an hour later, I noted that everything was very blurry through that eye so off to emergency I went (very worried). I spent the next 4 hours standing over a eyewash basin until the doctor was satisfied that the PH on my eye was as close to normal as it would get. I was smart enough to take the MSDS sheet with me and it informed the doc that the soap had a glycerin base, which if left would eventually destroy my eye. All is well now, and I now own about 3 sets of amber safety glasses, 4 sets of safety sunglasses and 3 faceshield just for my home shop. I have 4 or 5 hanging around my toolbox at work also. I was lucky, after 4 hours with water spraying in my eye all I had was the memory of how much it hurt and a very good lesson imprinted in my thick head.
Love the laser safety sign
Bryan H

 

[rake60]

I've been a working machinist for 30 years.
I have ALWAYS worn the appropriate safety glasses and face shields when grinding.
Even with those precautions sometimes the steel will find a way through.

6 times in the past 30 years I've found myself laying in a darkened hospital ER room with a bright
blue light shining in my eyes, and a doctor with a needle coming at an eye saying:
"I can see it, don't blink and don't move."

I wouldn't wish that on anyone!
If my SAFETY rants and ramblings can keep just one person from having to stare at that blue
light, it's worth the effort of typing the words.

I know many feel that Nanny is on the soap box again.
This Nanny is never off that soap box!

It's not just about metal working,
When a 5 year old grand daughter is catching hell for doing or not doing something, and looks at you
rolling her eyes, you need to be able to SEE it!
You don't dare laugh out loud, but you DO need those eyes to see it!

Rick

 

[wareagle]

When you are born, you are given a set of eyes, ten fingers, ten toes, two arms, two legs and you know the rest... Nothin in life is worth the price on any one of those items. So keep them in good shape, and be selfish. Keep them for your self!!

 

[1Kenny]

Safety is learned. One of the things I like about here is we have a specific safety section and it is actually used. The few times I have seen a safety section on other sites it is never used.

BAH101, there is no doubt in my mind you were stunned about the young engineer not wearing safety glasses. I have been licensed on airframes & powerplants for 33 years in the US and have both eyes with all my body parts intact. Also, being part of the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team, the young engineer should consider himself a lucky man it wasn't me that saw it as I would spend as much time as it takes to help him really, really understand safety.

Kenny

 

[Kermit]

I am that person all of you are talking about.

I work with things that come OFF those machines. I have installed every type of equipment imaginable, repaired the same, inspected many, and used almost every handtool ever made.

Funny thing is, I would always wear the proper safety equipment when using those tools.

I will not however put on the glasses when I walk through the machine shop area to get a cup of coffee or check a piece of government hardware out for use in inspection, despite having been asked by some of the machinists to "please" wear safety glasses even when just passing through.

Now that I have decided to become an amateur machinist (and after reading this thread) I will change my ways at my place of employment.

MY grandkids will need "looking" after too, and I thank the members here for reminding me of all this one more time. This is the time that it all "clicked" for me and I suppose one can never mention safety rules too many times.

Humbly yours,
Kermit

 

[Tin Falcon]

Safety rules is is safety rules some people think the rules change depending on the work location.
the items that try to harm and enter your body still follow the same rules.
Tin

 

[joeby]

I am a little more fortunate than Rick. I can remember at least three times having steel removed from my eyes, and having to put that greasy antibiotic in my eye. Not fun! The worst part is, I was wearing safety glasses.

I had a 1/2" diameter ball grinding stone break off the 1/8" shank in a die grinder one time and punch the lens out of my safety glasses. Had I not been wearing safety glasses, I wouldn't have needed that lens anyway.

Point is, even though you are wearing the proper equipment, don't expect that it will eliminate the possibility of an injury. You have to be aware of what you are doing and don't take the chance that "I'll be Ok, I need to do this quick and it's only for this one time". Don't place yourself in harms way just because you "should be" protected.

Kevin

 

[rake60]

Kermit if a visitor walks into the shop I work for without safety glasses with side
shields on them they are asked to return the the door they had entered and
put a pair on. Every door into the shop has a small basket containing safety glasses
attached to it.

If you are an employee at any level, and are seen in the shop without safety glasses
it could result in a 3 day suspension.

It's taken it that serious there.
It only takes a second to put the goofy looking glasses on.
That second of inconvenience can save years of a much harder to deal with inconvenience.

Rick

 

[shred]

It's funny how after you get used to wearing safety glasses in the shop how you get when you aren't.

I got a cool tour of a working commercial cast-iron foundry in Colombia but spent much of the time squirming that I didn't have safety glasses on.

 

[steamer]

I worked for Heald machine of Grinder fame in my young engineer days.
Basically a 13 ACRE machine shop.....from heat treat and paint and snag to the run off floor it was ALL there...big and small.

The Infirmary was a place for first aid there. The room was about 30 feet long and 20 feet wide and at least 12 foot ceiling with all the usual doctors office stuff....circa 1940 from the looks of it.


Just to "get your attention".....especially wise arse punk kid engineers who "know better" the walls were literally covered from the 5 foot mark up with little 12" square plaques. Each plaque had a pair of safety glasses that had been completely destroyed in some very grotesque manner...some with end mills and drills still sticking out of them. Next to this was a picture of the smiling man who's sight had been saved by the glasses shown along with a little brass tag with a name and a date of incident. There were HUNDREDs of these plaques.....This display grabbed you by the nose and firmly kicked you in the arse. You knew what the deal was!....if you didn't you were gone!

Dave