Any time you’re working with power tools that cut, saw, nail or sand, it’s important you are fully aware of all the dangers associated with those tools. All of the tools you’ll see listed below can be operated safely without any reason to fear an accident if you are attentive and operate it as intended, but awareness of the dangers is important to help ensure your safety.
With this in mind, here’s a quick overview of some of the most dangerous tools commonly found in workshops, and how you can more safely use them when you need tool rentals in Monroe, LA.
Table saws
A table saw is an extremely useful tool, but if you use it wrong there are a lot of ways you could potentially hurt yourself. The exposed spinning blade is going to be intimidating to first-time users—it’s not hard to see how you could potentially hurt yourself with a fairly sizable blade spinning at around 3500 rpm on average! There’s also the potential to be hurt by kickback if you do not operate the machine properly.
A featherboard can help you more safely push materials toward the blade, keeping your fingers completely safe. It also helps to push narrow wood through a band saw or router table. To avoid kickback, use a splitter, a piece of metal that keeps the wood steady after passing through the blade. Finally, make sure you stand outside the miter slots to ensure any kickback that does happen will not hit you.
Chain saws
The dangers of chain saws are obvious—they have large, exposed blades and are heavy enough that a lot of people are not able to safely operate them with the proper grip. The average chainsaw injury requires at least 110 stitches.
Many chain saw injuries occur because of a failure to wear protective gear. But beyond wearing the proper apparel, it’s important to read the instructions for the saw all the way through.
Ladders
Approximately 97 percent of ladder accidents happen in “non-occupational settings,” which means your home or backyard. In fact, ladder accidents are significantly more common than table saw accidents. The most common injuries resulting from these accidents are broken legs or feet.
You should always check to see if an extension ladder is resting at a proper angle before beginning your climb. Before you climb up, put your toes against the ladder’s feet and extend your arms out on a straight plane. You should be able to rest your hands on the rung in front of you comfortably. Once you’re on the ladder, maintain a steady center of gravity. Rather than trying to climb while carrying tools in your hands, wear a tool belt or apron.
Circular saws
Circular saws are extremely common household tools. You should take great care any time you use one—consider how fast the blade is spinning! Always clamp your workpiece down in place so you can keep two hands on the saw—this will help you avoid putting a hand or finger in the path of the blade. The blade should dip just barely below the thickness of your workpiece. Finally, make sure you use sawhorses, and try to cut outside the edges of the sawhorse as much as possible.
For more tool safety tips, contact a company specializing in tool rentals in Monroe, LA.