You could ask this woodworker why they put guards on his machines.

Why exactly did you take off the guards?
A better question would be “Why,  exactly did you take off the guards?”

The hazards are real.

Respect the horsepower and sharp edges of our steel tools.

No one should get hurt  to make something. Not at work. Not in our shops at home.

Machine guards are there for our protection.

We are  the reason for the guards.

USE THEM.

Good luck with the skin graft…

Deborah Keegan on IndustryWeek Manufacturing Network on LinkedIn asked  “What is the one thing you need young workers who are joining your workforce this summer to know in order to be safe?”

See the discussion here.

How many of you would answer-

  • “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?”
  • “Safety Rules”
  • “Machine Guarding?”
  • “Safety Training?”
  • “OSHA?”
  • “My boss?”

What is your answer?

What really keeps you safe?
What really keeps you safe?

Time’s up!

I am passionate about safety, so of course I had to put my two cents in…

What keeps you safe is the knowledge that ” ‘you are nothing more than a plastic bag filled with water and everything around you is harder, stronger and more powerful. Your safety depends on your understanding that you are the most vulnerable of everything in our shop environment.’ I started in the steel mill blast furnace department in high school surrounded by rail trains,  mobile equipment, hot metal,  noxious fumes, overhead cranes, and high powered equipment. My buddies who thought they were strong and powerful all had injuries at one time or another. My attitude of being the most vulnerable kept me in one piece.”

What keeps YOU safe?

If “Knowledge of how vulnerable you are” and an “Attitude of being vulnerable to all the hazards in your area” aren’t your answers, Maybe you should take a moment to think about what is really keeping you safe. Or not.

Thanks to Deborah Keegan for starting a great discussion. Check it out on Industry Week Manufacturing Network on LinkedIn

Photocredit: Somalian Body Armor