Guild Safety Guidelines

Safety in our use of tools is of paramount importance. Guild safety standards are very important. We will show and practice safety standards to avoid any kind of accident or injury. The class teacher or project coordinator will have a safety talk prior to beginning work on the project. Be aware of people arriving late and review this material with them. Important safety issues include but are not limited to the following.

Limitations

• Only Guild members may operate power tools. A Guild member may assist a non-Guild member.
• Students who are not Guild members are the responsibility of and must be supervised by their shop teacher.
• It is not possible to cover all of the various ways you can be injured. Be aware that injury can occur from flying objects or from cutting tools. Injury can be a bruise, a minor cut or loss of a body part. We want to prevent any kind of injury.

Some of the safe practices we will use include but are not limited to:

Safety Devices

• A push stick must be used if your hands will be within 4" of a moving cutter or blade.
• Do not remove any guards currently in place.
• Never remove the jointer guard.

Personal Protection

• Eye protection it mandatory for everyone who is in an operating wood shop.
• Hearing protection is required.

Practices

• You may only operate machinery that you know how to safely use. This typically means you have a similar tool in your workshop, are aware of safe use of it, and have experience in your own shop.
• If you are unfamiliar, unsure or have any doubt about using a tool in the shop, you will ask the project coordinator for help.
• You will never reach across the top of the table saw or jointer when it is running. Countless serious accidents have occurred throughout industry, even by experienced professional woodworkers, when a piece of wood contacted the cutter on the outfeed side and was pulled back into the blade by the reverse cutting action, pulling the operators fingers into the cutter. Loss of limbs nearly always results.
• In general keep your hands or body out of the "danger zone" of any tool. If you’re not sure, ask the coordinator.
• Avoid baggy or loose clothing, hanging jewelry, such as a necklace or bracelet, and unsecured long hair.
• Never stand directly behind the blade on a table saw. Your body should be to the left or right of the plane of the saw blade.
• Use a support table at the rear of the table saw when ripping long pieces.
• If you are assisting with cutting on the table saw, support the work. Do not attempt to pull the work through the blade.
• When making small parts, your hands are much closer to the tool. Always use push sticks and jigs.

Release of Liability Waiver

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