Wood Working PPE
Ali Mustafa Ali Mohamed sec: 6
Ali Mohamed Mustafa sec: 6
Omar Kaled Shawki sec: 7
Fahd Nasser Mahmoud sec: 7
Mohamed Samir Youssif sec: 9
Taher Aymen Taher sec: 5
Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3
Head Protection ................................................................................................... 5
Hard Hat or Safety Helmet ................................................................................... 5
Eye and arm Protection ...................................................................................... 6
Safety Spectacles................................................................................................... 6
Face shield............................................................................................................. 7
Dust Masks ............................................................................................................ 7
Hearing Protection .............................................................................................. 8
Earmuffs ................................................................................................................ 8
Ear plugs: .............................................................................................................. 9
Hand and Arm Protection: .............................................................................. 10
Cut-resistant Gloves ............................................................................................ 10
Anti-vibration Gloves ......................................................................................... 10
Foot and leg Protection: ................................................................................... 11
Steel Tip Work boots .......................................................................................... 11
Body Protection ................................................................................................. 12
Leather Apron ..................................................................................................... 12
PPE Equipment should be in wood workshopferences:................................ 13
Fire Extinguisher: ................................................................................................ 13
LED Flashlights: ................................................................................................. 13
Push Sticks and Blocks: ...................................................................................... 14
Conclusion: ........................................................................................................ 16
References: ......................................................................................................... 16
1|Page
Tables Of Figures
FIGURE 1 : CLASSIFICATION OF PPE ....................................................................... 4
FIGURE 2 : HARD HAT ........................................................................................... 5
FIGURE 3: SAFETY SPECTACLES ............................................................................. 6
FIGURE 4 : FACE SHIELD ......................................................................................... 7
FIGURE 5 : DUST MASKS ........................................................................................ 7
FIGURE 6 : EAR MUFFS ........................................................................................... 8
FIGURE 7 : EAR PLUGS ............................................................................................ 9
FIGURE 8 : CUT-RESISTANT GLOVES .................................................................... 10
FIGURE 9 : ANTI-VIBRATION GLOVES ................................................................... 10
FIGURE 10 : STEEL TIP WORK BOOTS ................................................................... 10
FIGURE 11 : LEATHER APRON .............................................................................. 10
FIGURE 12 : FIRE EXTINGUISHER ......................................................................... 10
FIGURE 13 : PUSH STICKS AND BLOCKS .............................................................. 10
2|Page
Introduction
It’s no secret that there are some dangers associated with woodworking. You need
to protect your body when working with tools of any kind, or there can be some
real risks of personal injury. While the risks are there, they should not sway you
from trying out woodworking and building what you want! There is a lot of
personal protective equipment (PPE) out there to help you, as well as tutorials,
videos, and manuals to teach you how to properly handle your tools.
Hazards exist in every workplace in many different forms: sharp edges, falling
objects, flying sparks, chemicals, noise and a myriad of other potentially
dangerous situations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requires that employers protect their employees from workplace hazards
that can cause injury.
Controlling a hazard at its source is the best way to protect employees. Depending
on the hazard or workplace conditions, OSHA recommends the use of
engineering or work practice controls to manage or eliminate hazards to the
greatest extent possible. For example, building a barrier between the hazard and
the employees is an engineering control; changing the way in which employees
perform their work is a work practice control. When engineering, work practice
and administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient
protection, employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their
employees and ensure its use. Personal protective equipment, commonly referred
to as “PPE”, is equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of hazards.
Examples of PPE include such items as gloves, foot and eye protection, protective
hearing devices (earplugs, muffs) hard hats, respirators and full body suits.
The appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) can reduce injuries
and illnesses. A survey, based on 198688 United States Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) forms used to log occupational injuries and
illnesses, revealed that the proper application of PPE could have prevented up to
37.6% of the occupational injuries and illnesses. Indeed, according to OSHA
statistics, about 12-14% of total disabling occupational injuries occur because
workers do not wear the appropriate PPE. Enforcing the wearing of PPE may
often be the best choice to protect the worker when other safety and industrial
3|Page
hygiene control methods are not feasible nor able to protect workers fully.
However, when it becomes necessary to furnish workers with PPE, workers will
frequently oppose wearing these devices because of discomfort. Consequently,
the devices are not used or are tempered with by the worker impairing the
effectiveness of the equipment. Several studies have focused on PPE including
physiological tolerance or subjective responses to wearing respirators,
impermeable clothing, the mechanical and transport properties contributing to
fabric comfort, and safety helmets.
Woodworking can be a dangerous hobby. By following a few common-sense
rules, you can decrease the risk of serious injury. Develop the habit of using the
following pieces of safety equipment from the start, and you'll never want to work
without them.
Everything that I’m going to recommend, I use. On the daily. It’s important to
not skimp out on wearing your PPE EVERY time you’re working in the shop
Hopefully this list of recommended personal protective equipment can help you
when you’re making decisions safety while wood working.
FIGURE 1: CLASSIFICATION OF PPE
4|Page
1. Head Protection
Occupational Head Hazards:
Impact from falling objects.
Bump against rigid stationary objects.
Penetration by sharp objects.
Contact with live electrical conductors.
Fire hazards.
Head Protection equipment:
Hard Hat or Safety Helmet:
A rigid device that is worn to provide head
protection from falling materials and which is
held in place by a suitable suspension.
Figure 2: Hard Hat
Parts of a Hard Hat:
1. The hard outer shell to protect the head from falling objects and tools.
2. The suspension system to maintain the hard hat in the correct wearing
position on the wearer’s head.
3. The chin strap to secure the hard hat to the wearer’s head.
4. The peak of brim to redirect a falling object away.
Types of Headwear:
Type 1 - protection from impact and penetration at the crown (top) only.
Type 2 - protection from impact and penetration at the top and laterally at the sides.
5|Page
2. Eye and face Protection
Your eyesight is too important to take a chance on. Put safety glasses on as soon
as you enter the shop (assuming that you’re working with tools that day) and don’t
take them off until you leave. They may cause two little red dimples to form on
either side of your nose. However, those dimples will go away 10 minutes after
taking the glasses off. Having a wood chip make contact with your eye would be
something that bears a lifetime of consequences.
When using a lathe, you'll likely generate a lot of flying chips. In addition to using
your safety glasses, a clear full-face shield is a good idea. The shield is
comfortable, can be flipped up when not needed, and will keep most of the flying
chips away from your face.
Occupational Eye and face Hazards:
1. Large flying particles and fragments from operations such as, wood working.
2. Dust, fumes, mists, and small particles from woodworking,
3. Vapours and liquids from solvents and paints.
Eye and face Protection equipment:
1-Safety Spectacles.
2- Face shield.
3- Dust Masks.
1-Safety Spectacles:
Figure 3: Safety Spectacles
Safety Spectacles or Glasses are primary protective devices intended to shield the
wearer’s eyes from flying and striking objects, glare and injurious radiation
hazards.
6|Page
2- Face shield:
Face shield is a protective device intended to shield the wearer’s face, or
portions thereof from striking objects.
A general rule, face shields should be worn over suitable basic eye protection
Figure 4 : Face shield
3- Dust Masks:
Woodworking activities generate a lot of tiny particles flying in the air, particles
small enough to gain access to the lungs and irritate it. Dust masks work as
a filter for the air you breathe in, keeping all dangerous particles away from your
respiratory system.
Dust masks also reduce the effect of the amount of foul smell you’ll breathe in
as there is a lot of nauseating smell in the workshop that could lead to irritation.
Protecting your lungs from sawdust and other dangerous particles should never
be overlooked.
Figure 5 : Dust Masks
7|Page
3. Hearing Protection
Why Is Hearing Protection Important When Woodworking?
The first thing you need to know is that hearing protection isn’t optional.
You shouldn’t try to skip out or “be tough” in the place of hearing protection.
When working with loud power tools and machinery such as joiners, it is wise to
wear hearing protection. Being mindful of wearing hearing protection will help
to reduce the possibility of long-term hearing loss.
Hearing Protection equipment:
1- Ear muffs.
2- Ear plugs.
1- Ear muffs:
A device composed of a headband with two cushioned ear cups that form a seal
around the outer ear, covering it completely and blocking out the noise.
Figure 6 : Ear muffs
8|Page
2- Ear plugs:
Earmuffs are clothing accessories or PPE designed to cover a person's ears for
hearing protection or for warmth. They consist of a thermoplastic or metal
head-band, that fits over the top or back of the head, and a cushion or cup at each
end, to cover the external ears.
Figure 7 : Ear plugs
4. Hand and Arm Protection
Protecting your hands is just as important as protecting your head and eyes from
damage. Most activities carried out in the workshop is done by your hands.
Cuts and splinters are the most common hand injuries in the workshop and they
could be easily avoided by using gloves.
9|Page
Hand and arm Protection equipment:
1- Cut-resistant Gloves.
2- Anti-vibration Gloves.
1- Cut-resistant Gloves:
You can protect your hands from cuts and nicks with
cut-resistant gloves. You will get the maximum
protection from heavy-duty chainmail gloves.
Figure 8 : Cut-resistant Gloves
2- Anti-vibration Gloves:
Most woodworking tools cause a lot of vibration that might cause the arm to feel
the vibration effect for days, HAVS (Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome).
Anti-vibration gloves help in getting rid of this effect. They absorb a large amount
of frequency that can cause white-finger.
Figure 9 : Anti-vibration Gloves
10 | P a g e
5. Foot and Leg Protection
injuries to the foot and leg are common to many industries. The dropping of
a heavy object may injure the foot, particularly the toes, in any workplace,
especially among workers in. The foot may also suffer physical injury caused by
striking it against an object or by stepping on sharp protrusions such as can occur
in the workshop.
Improvements in the work environment have made the simple puncturing and
laceration of the worker’s foot by protruding floor nails and other sharp hazards
less common, but accidents from working on damp or wet floors still occur,
particularly when wearing unsuitable foot wear.
Foot and leg Protection equipment:
Steel Tip Work boots:
To protect your toes when working with heavy tools or pieces of wood, you should
be wearing steel tip boots in your workshop. If you want to stay fashion-conscious
in your woodworking shop, you can also get some nice-looking steel tip sneakers
too.
A good, reliable pair of work boots will protect your toes if you drop anything
heavy. The thick soles of work boots will also protect the soles of your feet if you
step on a nail or sharp tool.
Figure 10 : Steel Tip Work boots
11 | P a g e
6. Body Protection
While you’re busy thinking of the right clothes to wear, to prevent your cloth
from getting caught in a spinning machine, consider getting yourself a leather
apron that’ll tie your clothes back and keep them from getting in your way.
Body Protection equipment:
Leather Apron:
Leather aprons are strong and won’t tear easily. They also come in various designs
and purchasing one with multiple pockets would be of great advantage to you;
this makes it easier for you to keep smaller tools closer to you. Remember,
choosing a leather apron that is comfortable and fits perfectly makes you more
comfortable and reduce the chances of any accidents occurring.
The easiest way to prevent items of loose clothing getting caught up in spinning
machinery is to wear a heavy-duty shop apron.
Made of either leather or heavy-duty waxed canvas, a good-quality woodworking
shop apron will keep your clothes clean and prevent accidents.
Shop aprons for woodworking also have plenty of pockets and loops to keep tools
close to hand.
Figure 11 : Leather Apron
12 | P a g e
Some other PPE Equipment should be in wood workshop:
1- Fire Extinguisher.
2- LED Flashlights.
3- Push Sticks and Blocks.
1- Fire Extinguisher:
Woods are highly flammable, making your workshop highly susceptible to fire
outbreak. Having a couple of firefighting equipment is necessary if you want to
keep your workshop from burning to the ground. You must have a fire-
extinguisher hanging within reach, fire hose reel and, a functioning sprinkler
system – this way you can quickly avoid fire from spreading.
Figure 12 : Fire Extinguisher
2- LED Flashlights:
Working with little or no visibility might just be the easiest way to cause a
life-threatening hazard in the workshop. Headlamps and flashlights help you
lighten up dark corners and makes cutting and carving more precise. Having
enough bulbs in the workshop is good, but getting an LED headlamp or flashlight
improves efficiency and visibility.
13 | P a g e
3- Push Sticks and Blocks:
When working with stationery jointers or routers, using your hand to push your
woodwork through them is unethical and can lead to severe cuts and injuries.
Push sticks and push blocks help you get your woodwork through these machines,
hence, reducing the risks of you hurting yourself.
Figure 13 : Push Sticks and Blocks
* some basic safety tips can help you avoid a woodworking injury*
1. Wear Safety Glasses
You should put your safety glasses on when you enter the woodshop and keep
them on until you leave. Do not take a chance with your eyesight!
2. Wear Appropriate Clothing
Avoid loose-fitting clothing and dangling jewelry as it could become tangled in a
saw blade or cutting head. Wear clothes that will protect your body from flying
wood chips.
3. Avoid Drugs and Alcohol
Hobby woodworkers should avoid using drugs and alcohol while working on their
project as they are using dangerous tools.
14 | P a g e
4. Disconnect Power before Blade Changes
Always disconnect the power from a power tool before changing a bit or blade.
Turning off the switch is not safe because it could get bumped back on
accidentally.
5. Less Extension Cords
Try using one extension cord for all 110-volt power tools in the shop. This way
you will be forced to switch the cord from tool to tool before the tool can be used.
This will also help awareness to disconnect the power when making bit or blade
changes.
6. Use Sharp Blades & Bits
Dull cutting tools are dangerous as the tool has to work harder to cut and is more
likely to kick-back or bind.
7. Check for Nails, Screws, or Other Metal before Cutting
Check the stock for metal pieces such as nails or screws and remove them before
cutting. If the cutting tool bumps into a piece of metal it could damage the cutting
head and the stock; worse, it could cause kick back which is a common cause of
injury. Using a metal detector is a great way to check for metal.
8. Work Against the Cutter
Always ensure that the router bit or saw blade is cutting against the motion of the
wood and not in the same direction. The cutter should cut into the stock, not with
the stock.
9. Do Not Reach Over a Blade to Remove Cut-Offs
Never put your hands in front of or near a moving blade; be particularly cautious
when removing waste or cut-offs. Wait until the blade has stopped moving before
reaching in. If possible, use a piece of scrap or stick to push the waste away from
the blade. To be absolutely safe, a blade should be unplugged before risking
putting your hands close.
15 | P a g e
10. Avoid Distractions
When you work in a wood shop you are surrounded by potentially dangerous tools
so it is important to focus on your task and avoid distractions such as conversation.
If you are working with a power tool, finish the cut to a safe conclusion before
looking away.
Conclusion:
In the end of this subject, I learned a lot about safety in carpentry shop, suitable
personal protective equipment (PPE) in carpentry shop, before started the work,
we must take care of our safety and suitable personal protective equipment (PPE)
in carpentry shop because the work in carpentry is quite dangerous with sharp
machine, electrical machine and so on. After done the work, we must clean the
lab and keep all tools and machines to not cause any trouble such as accident.
References:
1. Katarzyna Majchrzycka. Head, Eye, and Face Personal Protective Equipment
New Trends, Practice and Applications, 1st Ed. CRC Press (2020)
2. OSHA Instruction: 29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I, Enforcement Guidance for
Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry.
3. Roland Thompson. Thompson's Woodworking Safety Handbook. 1995 by
Thompson's Safety Handbooks.
16 | P a g e
