PPE in the shop and at home, Personal Protective Equipment Options

[Gunn1]

At the Jobsites all over the U.S., Personal Protective Equipment is a requirement.

Whether its use is driven by OSHA, the General Contractor and or the employer, Compliance has become a important part of Life on the Job.

Much is the case while working at home and in the shop. Most of us wear safety glasses, gloves and other types of PPE depending on the activity.

Recently in addition to safety glasses many companies are also requiring safety shields/visors in addition....if a cut off disc explodes on you...this is what could happen.



This and other recent injuries regarding high rpm cutoff wheels disintegrating have caused me to rethink what I do to stay safe at home....Making sure all the guards are on the grinders which includes buying good quality cut off discs, Welding gloves that are not full of holes, Fire extinguisher charged-ready and so on.

I am Looking for additional ideas regarding what those of you use or rules you follow to stay safe while enjoying your hobby at home..... any pointers or suggestions will be welcomed.

[DBCooper]

Once again you're asking people to do things for you that you could VERY EASILY do for yourself. There are a hundred websites with exactly the information you're asking for so why don't YOU go, do the research, find out what you're talking about, and then report back? Stop being a parasite. Lift a finger. Contribute something. Don't give out work assignments to others if you're unwilling to do anything yourself.

[Gunn1]

I did offer my recommendation on cut off discs and the additional use of a face shield not just safety glasses.

I am not asking for anyone to do any homework, just looking for members personal recommendations or any time tested steps they have followed that have worked for them.

Already have the CFR of OSHA standards.

Again Looking for members personal experiences or recommendations.

[Millerwelds]

Hey Andy, time to expand the ban. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Gunn1]

Hey Andy, time to expand the ban. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I apologize if you don't feel safety is a valid subject to cover.

Haven't broken any rules with my post

[Catorse]

I always wear a full welding helmet when using a grinder or cut of wheel on my air tools. The helmet is auto darkening and I can turn it off so I just look through the glass.

Now, I wear a full length welding jacket as well. Last week, when cutting on the 356, a cut off wheel exploded and fired a hundred pieces into my left forearm. It looked like I got shot with a shotgun loaded with bird shot and painful as hell.

Lesson learned!

[Gunn1]

I always wear a full welding helmet when using a grinder or cut of wheel on my air tools. The helmet is auto darkening and I can turn it off so I just look through the glass.

Now, I wear a full length welding jacket as well. Last week, when cutting on the 356, a cut off wheel exploded and fired a hundred pieces into my left forearm. It looked like I got shot with a shotgun loaded with bird shot and painful as hell.

Lesson learned!

Thank you for the reply and personal story. If it can help someone else from a possible sever injury its worth the time to share it.

[914outlaw]

I always wear a full welding helmet when using a grinder or cut of wheel on my air tools. The helmet is auto darkening and I can turn it off so I just look through the glass.

Now, I wear a full length welding jacket as well. Last week, when cutting on the 356, a cut off wheel exploded and fired a hundred pieces into my left forearm. It looked like I got shot with a shotgun loaded with bird shot and painful as hell.

Lesson learned!

Thank you for the reply and personal story. If it can help someone else from a possible sever injury its worth the time to share it.

Damn. I cut up a whole car in a T shirt and wearing safety glasses most of the time. I never knew that could.happen with a cut off wheel. Although I swore I would never cut up another 914, I will wear a face shield and protective clothing when I use a cut off wheel again. Thank you for the warning.

[GaroldShaffer]

At the minimum safety glasses and work gloves when using my cutoff wheel. Wife bought me a pair of steel toe shoes (look like gym shoes), but I prefer to wear my old steel toe work boots. Always wear ear protection when running any air tools or sawzall. Wife has had hearing aids since she was 4 and is always on my butt about keeping my ears protected. Hearing aids are not cheap!

[Michael RD]

Impact rated safety glasses & visors are marked on the lens frames or temples with a Z-87. Make sure cut off / body grinder disks are rpm rated for your machine.
I dont know everything about all welding hoods but most are not rated for anything but light. - Perhaps the lens' are now? I was a union carpenter superintendent in commercial construction and have been witness to all kind of disasters.

Osha covers lots of occupations , and every standard in every book is cause something went wrong, some one got killed ,or was hurt.

[Gunn1]

At the minimum safety glasses and work gloves when using my cutoff wheel. Wife bought me a pair of steel toe shoes (look like gym shoes), but I prefer to wear my old steel toe work boots. Always wear ear protection when running any air tools or sawzall. Wife has had hearing aids since she was 4 and is always on my butt about keeping my ears protected. Hearing aids are not cheap!

You know you've got something there and your right about the hearing protection.

Besides the decibels you are exposed to, there is also a maximum permissible exposure limit based on the exposure time and type of ear plug or ear phones you use.

If you continue to expose your ears past the exposure limit, you will suffer hearing damage. It isn't instant, it's cumulative and happens over repeated exposures.

[Coondog]

This one is easy, don't buy power tools and there accessories from Harbor Freight.....
In my 31 years in the Fire service I have seen my fair share of industrial accident fatalities and injuries and in most cases wearing the proper PPE could have reduced these incidents. But even with PPE there are some people who use power equipment in ways not intended and they wonder why 3 of there fingers are on the shop floor.

[ndfrigi]

Thanks for sharing! Now I have to buy the proper PPE. Thank God nothing had happen to me since I used a lot of the cutting and grinding tools from the cheap store as mentioned above. I only used protective eyeglasses and no thick jacket and proper gloves.

[Mueller]

From experience.....


Don't wear loose sweat pants whike using a grinder with wire wheel.. get too close to the pants and your "junk" might have an accident...I was lucky!

Don't leave rags in car while cutting and grinding.....

Cover windshield and mirrors when grinding, otherwise you will be buying new glass.

[mgp4591]

I might also add that no matter what the perceived quality of your tools and accessories may be, always try to predict the trajectory of any flying (or flying off) parts such as the cut off wheels pictured. Protective gear is great, but if your failed part is aimed at your cheek or nutsack you still may be sore and/or cut if said parts fail. I've avoided many an injury after adjusting my angle so stuff isn't flying at me...
That said, grind and cut away my friends! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[Gunn1]

From experience.....


Don't wear loose sweat pants whike using a grinder with wire wheel.. get too close to the pants and your "junk" might have an accident...I was lucky!

Don't leave rags in car while cutting and grinding.....

Cover windshield and mirrors when grinding, otherwise you will be buying new glass.

Mueller,

Good point with covering the glass while cutting or welding, it can be something easily forgotten. because of the flying Sparks causing permanent pitting on the tempered glass areas..and keeping the loose rags Out of the car for the fire danger.

Oily or fuel soaked rags should be put/stored in a steel container with some type of lid on it. This will cause a lack of oxygen in the container, It will stop the rags from spontaneously combusting . Which if it happens in your shop it will ruin your day and your car.

Could be called PPE for your Porsche

[914forme]

From personal experience the best safety gear is nothing for using your brain and keeping focused on the job at hand.

This is what happens in a very small lapse in judgement. I turned away for a brief moment as something caught my attention.





This all happened in a millisecond on July 4th, 2016 No explosive where involved. A 12" bench mount disk sander with 1-1/2 HP motor and 60 grit paper can do a lot of damage in a short time. And it was 100% my fault. I picked up a piece of steel after I finished working on another much longer one. I had no gloves on, I had safety glasses on, but then they do nothing to solve this issue. Except maybe keeping the blood out of my eyes.

Results lots of stitches, lose of nails, it bleed for 2 weeks, spent time twice a day soaking it in hydrogen peroxide so I could remove the dressing. And this was with the lovely redressing stuff that is supposed to make it less likely to stick to the dressing. I fractured the bones in my middle finger, took it down to the bone. I have at least 12 stitches in the side and nail bed of that finger, I stopped counting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

I was shocked to say the least, I was working alone. I applied pressure, managed to find my cell, call my wife, and get he shop locked up, and meet my daughter at the house. She is an NP, with ER certifications. She did a bang up job of applying a pressure dressing and getting me suitable drugged up with Tylenol and Advil to dull the pain. I though about posting this as a separate topic myself.

The ER staff did a bang-up job also, the Doctors and Nurse Practitioner where trained to do minor hand surgery. They saved my finger, I owe them a lot more than a simple thank you.

This is where I stand today. I am a lucky SOB, this could have been much much worse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif) I get to keep 100% of what I have left in my 2 fingers. My index finger I shortened, it is now square tipped. My middle finger I still wrap up when I am in public, as it makes most people (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) when they see it. I am still not out of the woods, I am require surgery, but doctor says he can now fix anything that happens due to good blood flow.

I have not done a thing in the workshop except to drop off a few items, and look around at the drops of blood, and make sure everything was shut down. I expected to find tools running etc.... Still have not found the piece of metal I was deburring.

So lesson here is not so much safety gear as it is the lapse in focus. When doing this work you need to be singleminded on that task at hand. I would have normally had a pair of gloves on, or held this in a pair of vice gripes.

I am now ordering fabricators gloves, welding sleeves, TIG gloves, etc... But the stuff only works if you wear it or use it. Grabbing a piece off the bench because the sander is still running and demurring it even though it did not need it has cost me some serious productivity time. I now type with 8 fingers, so my work is much slower at work. And my progress on my 914 literally ground to a halt the month of July. Still have not been given clearance to work on the car, nor do I know if I could get a glove over the finger and protect it from the dirt. It is hotter than Vegas out here, I would like to be on the lake, but can't get in the water with the open wound. With the rabbit foo foo finger dressing, people ask me what I did, so I get to relive my stupidity on a regular basis.

I had to give a presentation to my board of directors earlier and just started with the fingers, to get it off the table. Changed my entire presentation and chronology reversed it to start with the glaring finger puppets in the room. That was a great mental exercise. Most meetings are started with my fingers. I have found out how squeamish most people are about injuries. Been told by several people I need to keep them covered up. I don't go out to eat with people, as I don't wish to ruin their meals, and it is very hard for me to use silverware. Hand foods is where it is at.

Is this topic 914 relevant, OH hell yes! It has keep me from working on my 914 project. Hopefully it will remind other to keep their focus, so they can keep working on their cars.

Just look through the build threads at all the projects that get delayed and all the injuries due to working on our beloved cars.

I am not looking for sympathy here, it was 100% my fault, I m a big boy I live and own my issues. This could have been much worse. I am extremely grateful it was not.

[JoeDees]

I've had 2 shop accidents this year: metal embedded in my eye and I took a chunk out of my finger. The eye injury happened while wearing goggles, and the finger would actually have been worse if I was wearing gloves, but they both taught me important lessons about not taking your gear for granted and doing everything you can to assist the gear. Stay focused and don't violate your body's limits (I can't work with my arm over head, so I better utilize the rotisserie). While grinding and what not I always wear safety glasses, ear protection and a face shield. I always wear safety glasses, and for some activities I wear gloves-but always gloved while welding. I really need to start wearing sleeves for stuff, my arms are covered with mini burns from grinding and welding.

Edit: I also wear a mask when sanding or grinding, if it gives you gnarly, magnetic boogers, it can't be good for the lungs. But neither is smoking, yet I love that...

[JoeDees]

And the point about covering glass is spot on, the window in my garage is near the vice and is all kinds of pitted, I'll probably be paying for that when we move.

[rhodyguy]

Dude... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) this is more appropriate in the sand box. Oh...wait...you can't do that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) you push the boundaries with porn. Now this. A little gore first thing in the am. Do you sit around schemeing this shit or are you just naturally obtuse? 'OT'. 'OT'. 'OY VEY'! Figure it out man. Guy with a CD stuck in his face. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)