Dangerous: loose clothing, power tools and DIY

When I looked down at my shredded glove I hesitated to take it off, because I couldn’t even feel my fingers and I was afraid of what I might find.

We probably all remember from our school tech. classes not to wear a tie when using a lathe etc., but ties are not the only clothing you need to watch carefully when working with power tools. I was unfortunate enough to have an accident this week wearing gloves, yes the very same gloves I was wearing to protect my hands!

What happens when you get too close…

I don’t normally wear gloves when doing carpentry work because I find holding the pencil fiddly, but when it’s several degrees below zero there’s not much choice. Plus, wearing gloves does give you a sense of protection and security, but in reality, gloves (like any other item of clothing) can catch on moving parts potentially causing very serious injuries.

Although it was sub zero, it was a regular day at work. I was using a table saw to rip down some stock to make frame linings, nothing tricky or complicated. My attention must have wandered allowing my glove to get close enough to catch the blade, bang! The saw blade tried to pull my glove into the cut along with my fingers. Ouch.

The next thing I remember is pulling my gloved hand away from the saw blade. I couldn’t believe what had happened, how had I come so close to the blade?

Fortunately the glove was tough enough to jam up the blade pretty instantly and after removing the glove I found very little blood but completely white, numb fingers with saw tooth marks on my finger nails. Incredibly there were no missing bits, how was it possible? Of course I understand I must have allowed my glove to get close enough for the blade to catch, pulling it down into the cut. This crushed my fingers and I came within a hair of losing my finger ends to the blade. Worryingly, I have no clear recollection of the accident. Stupid, annoying and frustrating, not to mention embarrassing explaining to the client.

The force of stopping a powerful blade with your hand inevitably causes damage, and one finger end wobbled around alarmingly. But one week on, although still very tender they’re healing fine. This time all I lost was a couple of days off work, but it could have been so much worse and for that I am thankful; small accidents remind us that some of the machines we use are very dangerous.

Lessons learned

I write this to serve as a reminder that even the most experienced craftsman needs 100% concentration, even on simple and repetitive tasks. Be especially careful using power tools when wearing gloves because they can alter your perception and feel. Be wary that gloves don’t give you a false sense of security, because the protection they offer is limited.

And finally, be 100% focused on the blade, every single second it’s running.

Stay safe

Ian

You can learn more on the health and safety page.

Lesson learned, extra care is needed when working in gloves in cold weather.