Good Housekeeping

Sorry, I am not talking about the magazine! This is safety week and woodworkers are putting out their safety tips.

While I am all for hearing protection and blade guards and dust masks I must put in a plug for for one of the most underrated and yet most important pieces of safety equipment in either a hand tool or power tool shop, the broom. I have not yet done a test of different models to tell you which is the best but I do know that a tidy shop is a safer shop. You are not tripping over offcuts and chunks chopped out from dovetails or rolling around on short pieces of dowel or bits of turnings if you keep a clean shop, fire danger is lower. It is also helpful you drop an important screw or part on the floor you can find it in a clean shop. If you drop a board with glue spread on it prior to a glue up, well, sorry, it will have crud stuck to it even in a clean shop, just not as much crud.

A couple of easy tips for keeping ahead of the shavings:
When you make a mistake and are a bit steamed, grab a broom and sweep until a Zen like calm envelopes you and you can go back and rethink what ever blunder you just did.
Can't find a tool you need? start putting tools away and cleaning until you come to it.
When ever you leave your shop put 10 things away.
Get rid of clutter you don't use, give the shorts to the kid down the block, those old hinges and screws too.
Keep it clean out there!
Mike
Who realises he needs to get out and clean the shop!