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+-- Thread: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries (/showthread.php?tid=7347347)
No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Handplanesandmore - 03-27-2019
https://youtu.be/0wnjJ-Xi5FU?t=597
Simon
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - wing nut - 03-27-2019
(03-27-2019, 07:02 PM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: https://youtu.be/0wnjJ-Xi5FU?t=597
Simon
mmm!!! I'm guilty of that, so if its less then 6 inches just throw away? and do another one?
I have 2 shop saftey rules. first when a power tool is on no distractions in the shop, no one talks, no interuptions, second whenever I use a power tool keep your eyes on your fingers.
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Handplanesandmore - 03-27-2019
(03-27-2019, 07:22 PM)wing nut Wrote: mmm!!! I'm guilty of that, so if its less then 6 inches just throw away? and do another one?
That installer did not have to make a cut like that, or throw away the shorter piece. He could simply have used a pinch stick to hold the stock to the fence, without placing his hand inside the "Danger Zone" which was clearly marked on the saw table.
Simon
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Bob10 - 03-27-2019
Guilty of that and I don't look away for a second and I have a pretty good grip. If my hands get weak I will probably stop doing it
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - K. L. McReynolds - 03-27-2019
I've worked with large equipment(Switch engines/cranes/aerial equipment), small equipment(chain saws/soldering irons), large tools(cranes/engine hoists) and small tools most of my life(screwdrivers/utility knives/hammers). I have a healthy respect---NOT a fear------of all the tools I use. To include the one that has hurt me the most---a utility knife. Which hurt me because I lost focus for a second.
The most important safety tool is my brain, the second most important is concentration, and the third is a really good understanding of physics---what happens when equal and opposite reactions occur, for instance.
Should everyone make cuts like that? Heavens NO!
I've done many cuts similar to the one shown in the video. Several things make such an operation more safe. Absolute concentration. Sharp blade. Firm hold. An understanding of the forces involved. And NO fear of the saw. Respect, yes. Fear causes doubt, doubt causes mistakes, mistakes cause injuries. Would I recommend someone else make a cut like that? No. Because I do not know their level of knowledge/understanding/control of the above principles.
There are other ways to miter. Hand saws/miter guides for one.That would be my recommendation to a DIYer. Using a OSS to fine tune the angle.
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Handplanesandmore - 03-27-2019
The injury reports in the database don't lie: as long as there are enough people who make unsafe cuts with the miter saw (the video shows only one example), regardless of how many others who cut like that and don't get hurt, someone somewhere will sooner or later become a statistic. Statistics applies to a group, not to any one single individual. The fact remains that there are undeniably safer ways to cut that shorter piece with the same result than how it was shown in the video.
Simon
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Cooler - 03-28-2019
I would be guilty of that, except that I drew a bold red line on both sides of my blades at 8" using a broad tipped Sharpie. I keep my hands outside those lines. I keep a bunch of small scraps of lumber to use as holders nearby if I need to hold a piece within that 8". I recommend you draw the lines (or paint them). It actually works for keeping my hands away from the blade.
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Woodenfish - 03-28-2019
He is making that cut like a barbarian. It a very short piece of fine trim not a tubafor. He needs to add a wood zero clearance auxiliary fence to close that gap between the factory fence and support the wood as it’s being cut. It would improve his safety and quality of cut by backing up the miter and preventing grain tear out. He was lucky to not have had an accident.
Edited to add this link showing the right way. https://youtu.be/iyEuP5v8wik
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Handplanesandmore - 03-28-2019
(03-28-2019, 07:34 AM)Cooler Wrote: I would be guilty of that, except that I drew a bold red line on both sides of my blades at 8" using a broad tipped Sharpie. I keep my hands outside those lines. I keep a bunch of small scraps of lumber to use as holders nearby if I need to hold a piece within that 8". I recommend you draw the lines (or paint them). It actually works for keeping my hands away from the blade.
I like your approach. You are a good model of not subjecting your fingers or hands to unnecessary risks based on your description, as most miter saws' danger zones are marked about 6" to 7.5" from either side of the blade (depending on the size of the saw/table).
Anyone can make their own holding sticks as you do, or, if they value their shop time more than $20, buy something like the 10 million dollar stick that keeps their fingers away from the spinning blade while still allowing them to make a scary cut they want. If a kickback happens, or the piece blows up for whatever reason, no fingers get hurt...happy ending.
Last time I checked, the OSHA's database had some 1200 miter saw injuries recorded between 2003 and 2017. Here is one of the countless amputation
examples found there:"On July 23, 2009, Employee #1, with a construction contractor specializing in repair and remodel work for home owners associations, was cutting 2 in. by 4 in. wood boards with a 10 in. Ryobi miter saw to replace rotted exterior wood. When the saw kicked back, his left index finger was amputated."
Since most saw accidents (on the tablesaw or miter saw) happen in split seconds or less, no one can react fast enough to avoid it, and prevention is a better alternative.
Simon
RE: No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries - Handplanesandmore - 03-28-2019
(03-28-2019, 08:32 AM)Woodenfish Wrote: He is making that cut like a barbarian. It a very short piece of fine trim not a tubafor. He needs to add a wood zero clearance auxiliary fence to close that gap between the factory fence and support the wood as it’s being cut. It would improve his safety and quality of cut by backing up the miter and preventing grain tear out. He was lucky to not have had an accident.
Edited to add this link showing the right way. https://youtu.be/iyEuP5v8wik
Thanks for sharing the video. That woodworker attached a sandpaper to his fence for extra grip of the stock, AND he hooked his fingers to the fence: https://youtu.be/iyEuP5v8wik?t=384
The open gap between the two fences in a miter saw is a trap for kickback when cutting short pieces that not every user is aware of.
"He was lucky to not have had an accident." - Everyone who adopts unsafe shop practice is lucky...until luck runs out on them.
Simon