Planer Thicknesser Safety

[Stone Message]

I am guessing what you are saying but it either that they are infallible and always spot on or it is useless to try and challenge their dictats.

Peter

 

[RONWEN]

I am guessing what you are saying but it either that they are infallible and always spot on or it is useless to try and challenge their dictats.

Peter

They are always not infallible.  [huh] 
I had a discussion one time where we had weldors working on top of very large weldments -- they would step off of a step ladder onto the (rock solid) weldment while working, two feet firmly planted in place.  I was told using that method I would need to design a harness tethering system for them in case of a fall.  OK, no problem.  However, a daily fine would be in place until the system was completed.  If we wanted to avoid the fine the OSHA inspector said it would be OK if the weldor "stood on the very top of an OSHA approved step ladder, with his welding hood down leaning over to reach the areas that required welding".  [scared]  [scared]  [scared]  [scared]  I'm guessing this individual got his OSHA position right out of college and had absolutely no experience working around a shop environment. 
Hopefully, he is now promoted to a higher position where he doesn't make those kinds of suggestions.  [huh]

 

[Tinker]

Ron, Everybody knows that a ladder is the safest place to work from. [poke]

I have worked from ladders for more moons than you have been around.  They are just so very safe :

I have know friends who have had terrible falls from making mistooks while working on ladders.  One friend was injured so that i took care of his widow's yard for twenty five years after he fell.  Another tried switching from one ladder to another....... while twenty feet in the air.  The ground must have been soft; as he did not bounce.  He was an engineer and must have managed to make some sort of corrections as he was falling.  He only broke an arm, dislocated a shoulder and hip and cracked four ribs.  I have other stories about ladders, but you get my point.

My own businesses (mason contractor and then landscaper) have required a lot of ladder time.  If more than fifteen feet off the ground, I have always tied the ladder at the top.  today there are spreaders that can be applied top or bottom, or even both.  i still tie in for many operations.  Sometimes i tie the ladder and then I tie myself to the tree. I think ladders and chainsaws are the most dangerous tools on any worksite.  There may be other tools with more danger potential, but it seems any body can use a chainsaw and or ladder with no knowledge and even less fear.
Tinker

 

[promhandicam]

Best advice, if you work on your own and don't employ anyone is to work the way you feel safe. Personally I would normally use method A on my P/T except for squaring the edge of a board when obviously you can't raise the guard up enough and so you withdraw it sufficiently for the board to pass between the guard and the fence. I don't use push sticks as the sawn timber I am planing is usually quite large and so wouldn't be very manageable. That said, the tables on my p/t are 1400mm long which makes things a little easier. My planing technique sounds the same as others who use this method of guarding - feed the timber under the guard putting pressure on the infeed table - once sufficient timber is on the out feed table apply pressure with one and then both hands and continue  feeding the timber only on the outfeed side. This may be difficult with a small (hobby) p/t with short tables but on most trade machines the tables are long enough to do this without any problem. All that said, you would need to check with the editor of the magazine you are hoping to publish in if he / she was happy for you to illustrate a method that isn't approved by the HSE assuming that you are referring to a UK mag.

 

[Stone Message]

....All that said, you would need to check with the editor of the magazine you are hoping to publish in if he / she was happy for you to illustrate a method that isn't approved by the HSE assuming that you are referring to a UK mag.

That is such a good point. Many thanks.

Peter

 

[green fever]

hey Kev you are so right, many years ago when i was in my twenties i worked for a very large shop fitting company around the saw mill  you would not believe the older experienced men that had fingers and thumbs missing and yes these men worked around the biggest blades you could imagine and yet they still had bad injuries and yes they over time became complacent some of the men would say they got so used to the humming of the big saws they almost became unaware of the dangers until they got bit, i know this is a bit off topic but you cannot stress the importance of safety at work , i know a young joiner who took the guard of the thicknesser at his dads joinery shop and almost lost his hand trying to rush a job and after a lot of grafts he sure shows the machinery a lot more respect , and yes his dad went nuts when he saw the hand and the guard removed well almost the hand.