Tips from a Safety Pro
As a professional firefighter, I have seen numerous woodworking and industrial accidents resulting in very serious, life-changing injuries.
These are my tips, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WORK ALONE:
1. Have a telephone within the immediate vicinity THAT YOU CAN REACH FROM THE FLOOR. If you are injured, you may not be able to stand/walk. Have a telephone nearby that you can crawl to, reach, and dial with one hand if necessary to call for help.
2. Have a well stocked first aid kit nearby. Again, something that you can reach from the floor if you have to crawl to it. This is not something with a couple of Band-aids in it. This is something that contains a variety of items to try to control a serious amount of bleeding until professional help arrives. A good kit would have a variety of gauze pads in it: 3x3's, 4x4's, etc. It would also contain some type of material to wrap the gauze pad with, i.e. "kerlix" (a brand name). You should also have plan B in this kit; meaning a tourniquet capable of controlling blood flow to an entire limb.
If you are having a bad day, can't concentrate on what you are doing, or are distracted mentally in any other way, take that as the last warning sign you will get before a serious accident. If you have a woodworking tool accident, the chances are your body will never be the same. Walk away to work another day!
Dennis Horton
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