A wood planer deserves respect. Failure to do so will always result in a grim outcome – accidents! A number of times, many people have been killed or had serious injuries because of their negligence to follow basic instruction, which govern the operation of heavy machinery and make no mistake of it, planers are heavy machinery that can take lives! So, how do you keep safe around these so called death traps? Read on and find out.
A Clean Working Station
Your working station, be it a bench or a workshop, must be clean and any substance that are likely to cause any form of injury must be stored away. This may include fluids, electrical appliances that don’t have any use at the moment and so on. The work station must also be well ventilated and have sufficient amount of light. Never operate any wood planer machine in darkness, be it indoors or outdoors. This is majorly to enhance vision as it will not only guarantee the operator’s safety but also ensure a high level of precision.
Using The Right Tools For The Right Job
Never use a wood planer to cut metal sheets or strings. It not only guarantees you safety but also a longer lifespan of the wood planer.
Use Protection! (read gear)
Best planers are important work tools when it comes to any workshop. Protecting the eyes, nose and hands during machine operation is necessary as it helps in minimizing unwanted incidents. For instance, goggles will keep your eyes clean and leather gloves will ensure that you are not left exposed to the blades. However, this is not a guarantee that you are 100% safe, they only minimize chances of accidents. Thankfully, accidents are rare with such protections in place.
General Inspection
Always ensure that all loose components of a wood planer are regularly inspected and tightened especially for an electrical wood planer where the motor rotates at a very high speed. Ensure that the start, stop and emergency push buttons are functional at all times. All cables must be correctly fitted. Any kind of bypassing should be avoided at all costs.
Using A Vice
Make sure that your work piece is held firmly on the working bench. This will ensure that the work piece is secure and is not likely to slip. But this can only be possible if the gripping tools are constantly serviced and inspected to help keep them firm and their gripping edge in good working condition.
Storage
Always clean your work station and store the wood planer insides. For larger wood planers, which are installed and cannot be moved, they should be covered up. Never switch off the main supply before you switch off the machine.
Always remember. No alcohol. medicines or intoxicants when using the planer. They can cause serious injuries. Concentration plays a significant role in any tool and machine operation. Failure to abide by this will only tantamount to either accidents or making gross mistakes which will lead to serious loses in the long run. Remember, all wood planers are made to be very safe so it is the user’s onus to take charge of his or her safety.
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