Safety In High-Fashion

Safety is the single most important part of any project, period. I am passionate about safety because I know firsthand that most accidents happen due to carelessness with safety precautions and procedures. Before you get the tools running, I’d love to share a few safety tips that I adhere to whenever and wherever I am doing my thing with power tools. Whether for work or play, the rules don’t change…Safety first!!!

1Always protect eyes, ears and respiration:

Eyes:

Wear safety glasses at a minimum. I often wear safety glasses AND a face shield. You’d be surprised how minute particles can make their way into your eyes. Don’t wait to find out how that feels. There are some very cool and stylish safety glasses available, so you don’t have to worry about looking like you are wearing your grandpa’s safety glasses. I prefer to wear 3M’s safety glasses because they look so cool and protect my eyes so well.

Ears:

Your hearing is one thing you can’t recover if damaged! Safety ear plugs or ear muffs should be used in more situations than you may consider, such as mowing the lawn. It doesn’t take much to injure or even break one of the very tiny bones in your ears.

Respiration:

Protecting your lungs and respiratory system during a project is as simple as using a respiratory mask. Please keep in mind that different masks protect against different things. Be sure to use the proper respiratory mask that is made specifically for the job you’re doing. Then make sure you are wearing it correctly so the respiratory mask can do its job and keep you safe. Follow the instructions provided with your mask.

2If you have long hair, tie it back! You do not want any hanging bangs! Simply put, you don’t want to wear or leave anything hanging from your body where it may get caught up in a blade, drill bit or anything that has a mechanical motion. I wear hats for many reasons, but safety is the most important. With a hat on and my hair tied back, I am much safer.

3Wearing gloves should not be automatic for all occasions. Wear gloves only when necessary. A good rule of thumb (no pun intended) is this: gloves with hand tools, no gloves with power tools. Wearing gloves at work sites diminishes lacerations up to 60%.

4Do not wear gloves when working with any cutting tool that has a rotating blade. Think back to the idea of not having anything on that could get caught in a blade. If a loose glove gets caught, it will pull your finger into the blade without you being able to pull it out. These accidents happen incredibly fast. I’ve seen it happen and I don’t want you to experience this!

5No loose sleeves or fringes on any clothing. Same rule as above…anything loose has the potential of being pulled into a tool or caught on a ladder rung, just as a couple of examples! Also be careful of pull strings on hoodie sweatshirts. They can dangle right into a power tool and wreak all kinds of havoc.

6Feet must always be protected in a work zone. NEVER WEAR FLIP-FLOPS OR SANDALS! Exposed toes will get banged, poked or become a landing pad for something heavy—it never fails. Most workshops and sets hold very strictly to this rule. No shoes, no work or service! If you have sturdy boots, that’s the best, especially if they have reinforced toes.

7Wear comfortable shoes and kneepads. Proper work wear goes a long way to help prevent injury due to fatigue. Wearing the wrong shoes will greatly impact your fatigue. Tight or uncomfortable shoes will affect aches and pains in your whole body. When you are tired and uncomfortable, you may be tempted to cut corners and ignore basic safety precautions in the rush to get something done. DON’T DO IT! Be comfortable and wear the appropriate shoe for the task at hand.