work safely

[ironman]

hi there boys & girls, This is just a little reminder that we should all work safely!
Don't forget to soap those fittings on the oxy/acet tanks, I stopped doing it and almost blew myself up once, a long story but believe me it was scary!
Wear your safety goggles when grinding.
Use a wheel guard on those grinders. I know, all you macho men out there are saying, "what a wuss", and when I ordered one from Milwaukee the guy said to me, "what are you having an OSHA inspection, that's the only time anyone orders them! After 25 years without, I felt as if I was pushing my luck.
Change the grinding wheel when it gets too small and if you drop the grinder replace that wheel immediately.
Work in a well ventilated area when welding or get an exhaust fan of some sort.
Work in a well lit studio and clean it up once in a while.
Oh, and here's a tip for all you plasma cutters, this may be old hat to everyone but I don't use soapstone markers, I use BIC White out pens! They make a nice fine line, the only drawback is they don't last more than 2 wks. for me, the plastic roller ball in the tip gets worn out before it's out of ink. But I like them and they're only $2.+. I haven't used them for oxy/acet cutting but have a feeling the ink will burn off the steel too far ahead of the cut.
I think that a little safety reminder now and then is good for all of us, i'm sure that I've left off many things so please if you've got a point to make about safety or a tip that'll make things easier, please respond.
Thanx, Jeff

[steponmebbbboom]

I could make a list as long as your arm, since I am a JHSC member at work, but if in doubt you can always ask OHSA to come in and do an inspection. They can advise you of all the health and safety hazards at your studio and how to safeguard against them. Since you fall under their jurisdiction anyway, they will probably be very reasonable to you if you volunteer your space for inspection. Everyone's situ is different depending on the nature of the studio and the work performed within. In Canada you can call the WSIB (workplace safety and insurance board) for advice on any safety issue.

[ironman]

I could make a list as long as your arm, since I am a JHSC member at work, but if in doubt you can always ask OHSA to come in and do an inspection. They can advise you of all the health and safety hazards at your studio and how to safeguard against them. Since you fall under their jurisdiction anyway, they will probably be very reasonable to you if you volunteer your space for inspection. Everyone's situ is different depending on the nature of the studio and the work performed within. In Canada you can call the WSIB (workplace safety and insurance board) for advice on any safety issue.
Hi steponmebbbboom, First of all I don't think OSHA's going to come out to my little one man operation in the middle of nowhere and I really don't want them to! They'd probably make me get a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit for starters and since I'm only 30 ft. from my house, I doubt if its necessary.
I wasn't looking for a diatribe on gov't agencies and their intervention but just a few reminders for a safe operation.
"I can make a list as long as your arm" doesn't add anything to the mix!
Sometimes we forget and sometimes we take shortcuts in doing things and I know that since we're human that's part of the process. I worked somewhere once where they had signs posted that said "no job is so important that it can't be done safely".
I haven't read anything in these forums on safety in the studio so I thought it would be a good reminder for those of you out there who don't think too much about it or tend to be careless in the workplace.
I've seen people with their shirts on fire and people with their pants on fire. I've seen people who were standing so close to their grinder (without a guard) that the wheel ground through their shirt and into their stomach!
Wishing all of you a good, productive and safe day in your studio, Jeff :)

[sculptor]

a fire extinguisher and a jug of fresh water for fast flushing of toxins are damned cheap investments, and i hav a set at every doorway.in the studio..and extinguisher in the vehicle

ain't needed them yet, ............but I check the meters and replace often enough

awhile back, I was driving along when the car in front of me began pouring out vast quantaties of smoke and some flame------as we both pulled over, i grabbed the extinguisher and dashed to their engine cover, popped the hood and blasted away---they were a grateful old couple who bought the used extinguisher and accepted a ride to the next service station......
good karma
carry an extinguisher for 40 years and maybe use it once.........
may I recommend this to all travelers
rod

[Araich]

For many years I have used a variety of half-face respirators and put up with poor fitting, fogging goggles and pressure 'cuts' to the bridge of my nose.
Last week I bought a full face respirator. It has been the single best investment in my health in years.
It has an internal half face (stops exhale from entering face sheild and thus fogging) and seals with little pressure around the face, leaving room for ear muffs, and as comfortable as you could get. It also fits light cotton dust filters as well as a range of organic vapour and other cartridge filters.
http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?BBBBBBkiuNQBWeCB5eCBBBCjINEaaaa 9- the one top left.

With safety gear, take the time and spend the money to find the perfect fit. I have now the best ear muffs, ear plugs, safety glasses, respirator, welding sheild and boots for the work I do... and a comfortable fits means that you will use it.

[kestonh]

a fire extinguisher and a jug of fresh water for fast flushing of toxins are damned cheap investments, and i hav a set at every doorway.in the studio..and extinguisher in the vehicle

ain't needed them yet, ............but I check the meters and replace often enough

awhile back, I was driving along when the car in front of me began pouring out vast quantaties of smoke and some flame------as we both pulled over, i grabbed the extinguisher and dashed to their engine cover, popped the hood and blasted away---they were a grateful old couple who bought the used extinguisher and accepted a ride to the next service station......
good karma
carry an extinguisher for 40 years and maybe use it once.........
may I recommend this to all travelers
rod

man- you got lucky. always shoot at engine fires from under the car- leaving the hood down helps deprive the fire of oxygen. I learned this helpful hint from the fire department when I was 17-18 and driving an old honda POS.

[ironman]

Hi Araich, Thanks for the info on the respirator, I haven't used one except for when I spray paint my pieces. My studio is well ventillated but perhaps I should think about one if it'll fit under my face shield. I checked your web site and your work looks beautiful and the painted pieces have a great finish on them.
Hi sculptor, I've carried a fire extinguisher in my truck for years, it and water are only 30 ft. from my studio but I think I'll take your advice and add those 2 items to my studio. thanks, Jeff

[Julianna]

Those of you who (like me) don't need protection against vapours but do need protection against dust might want to investigate some of the masks made for city-bound cyclists. The one I use is great--it's compact (which is great because I don't bump into my sculpture when I go in for a closer look) and has replacable filters. And because it's made for city-bound cyclists, the filters are able to filter small particles.

Of course it's necessary to have a dust collector and/or vacuum.