This $15 Device Could Save Your Life! Get One For Your Shop!

tips and tricks

Mar 14

Having the right safety equipment in your woodworking shop could be the difference between life and death. Safety doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. A $15 item could be a life saver. There are some basic safety equipment you need in a woodworking shop and some things that no body else is talking about that you should have in your shop.

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Obviously you need eye, ear and lung protection when woodworking. The problem with a lot of eye protection is that when you put on a mask to protect you from inhaling sawdust, your safety glasses fog over. You need to look for good eye protection that is anti-fog. I like these safety glasses. They are comfortable and don’t fog easily.

Probably one of the best woodworking masks is the RZ mask. It’s an affordable dust protection mask that has a replaceable inner filter. They’ve been around for years. They come in different sizes and colors. Check them out here: RZ MASK

Hearing protection can come in a variety of styles and price points. I have used the Apple PowerBeats Pro for a long time because that is what I use when exercising. However, they don’t block a lot of sound like something like the 3M Worktunes. Even without audio playing on the 3M WorkTunes they block 24db of sound. I was actually surprised when I put them on for the first time at how much sound they blocked. Add the fact that I can listen to music, podcasts or audio books and these are great. 3M WorkTunes have little to no bass. So if you like bass heavy music then these are not for you. I would look at the PowerBeats or similar headphones. But if you listen to podcasts, audio books or music with less bass, then the 3M WorkTunes may be the way to go.

I spent three years as a firefighter before moving on to other first responder jobs. Loved doing it. But that was many, many years ago! I’ve forgotten most of what I had learned about firefighting way back then so when I was ready to buy a fire extinguisher I did what any prior fireman would do…. I went to YouTube and searched which fire extinguisher I needed lol. I chose a refillable 10 pound ABC fire extinguisher as a decent size for small fires. A 5 pound extinguisher is just too small for most shops. A 5 pound extinguisher will only last about 5-7 seconds of continuous flow. There are many things in the shop that could cause a fire, electrical outlets, cords, saws, paints/stains, and much more.

Everyone needs a simple first aid kit for the woodworking shop. Why? Splinters, minor burns, minor cuts, etc. You need to be able to have small band aids and minor bleeding control on hand. If you burn your hand or fingers on a torch, hot bits and blades, etc then burn cream could come in handy. A small first aid kit is so inexpensive there really isn’t a reason you shouldn’t have one in the shop. I picked this first aid kit because it has a rubber gasket that keeps it sealed so no sawdust could get inside.

You NEED a C.A.T. tourniquet in your shop. Why? What would happen if the worst scenario plays out in your shop. You’re cutting a board and something happens, and your saw blade cuts you bad and hits a major artery in your wrist, leg or upper arm. You’re in trouble. You literally only have a few short minutes to control the bleeding before you become unconscious. After you black out, without help from someone else you will likely bleed to death. Now imagine if it is your spouse, child or friend that gets injured in this way. If you have a tourniquet in your shop, you could provide bleeding control for yourself or someone else and save your life. They are easy to apply and are very inexpensive. I bought a three pack so I could place them strategically around the shop and my home. It’s $15. Get one. Make sure you know how to apply it properly here.

WATCH THE FULL WOODWORKING SHOP SAFETY VIDEO HERE

We have invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in tools, supplies and equipment in our woodworking shops. We want to protect that investment the best way we can. I picked up this five pack of Blink cameras to have wireless monitoring of my shop and home. These Blink cameras are completely wireless, can record both locally and/or cloud based, have motion detection and infrared capabilities. They were very easy to set up using their app and easy to install. I did pick up a rubber housing that came with better mounts. The stock mounts were short and don’t provide much for camera angle options. The aftermarket housings will help with glare and water obstructions and gives a lot more camera angle options.