Axe safety

C_Becker said:
WTF is a safety gas can?
Honest question, never heard of such a thing
Click to expand...

Condensed version. It will release pressure if it gets hot. Self closing lid, screened spout. The list can go on and on depending on the agency. With different state and federal agency's having there own specifications. There are specifications for everything that the government builds or has built. And I mean every nut, washer,screw or gravel, dirt, fence post,you name it. I have not heard of specifications on pens and pencils, but for some agency's it would not surprise me at all.
 
I worked for a log home buider for a while in Colorado that insisted on all axes being layed on the floor. He was very adamant about it. One day on lunch break I ask why that one was the one safty rule he enforced why vigor, he put his coffee down took his boot and sock off to show where his little toe had been reattached. He stumbled into one leaned against a wall handle up wearing tennis shoes.

The bottom line to it all in my opinion is think ahead and avoid as many hazards by whatever means.

Chris
 
Chris Montgomery said:
I worked for a log home buider for a while in Colorado that insisted on all axes being layed on the floor. He was very adamant about it. One day on lunch break I ask why that one was the one safty rule he enforced why vigor, he put his coffee down took his boot and sock off to show where his little toe had been reattached. He stumbled into one leaned against a wall handle up wearing tennis shoes.

The bottom line to it all in my opinion is think ahead and avoid as many hazards by whatever means.

Chris
Click to expand...

Some things are just an accident waiting to happen. As much as I hate some safety rules others are just common since or should be. Some times people get in a hurry or just don't think. I believe that those that get hurt or hurt others are usually much more likely to be repeat offenders. At least that has been my experience in thirty years of working around the trades. I knew a framer that had better than twenty years experience. You would have to see his hands to believe it. Stubs here and there on both hands. His work was as sloppy as his attention to danger though.
 
garry3 said:
Some things are just an accident waiting to happen. As much as I hate some safety rules others are just common since or should be. Some times people get in a hurry or just don't think. I believe that those that get hurt or hurt others are usually much more likely to be repeat offenders. At least that has been my experience in thirty years of working around the trades. I knew a framer that had better than twenty years experience. You would have to see his hands to believe it. Stubs here and there on both hands. His work was as sloppy as his attention to danger though.
Click to expand...

Some people are accident prone and don't seem to learn from their mistakes. I've been chopping, splitting, bumping knots, and using axes for everything they are designed for, for over 45 years. I've had my share of minor incidents with cuts and bruises, but I've managed to avoid the big one.

The hard part is teaching young people to be safe with axes or any edged tool. You always want to protect your kids, and I always say something when I see unsafe practices. They have to learn like we all did, but an axe accident can be a hard thing to live through. Axe and saw accidents seem to get infected easily. I try to teach the kids proper technique and fit the tool to their height and weight, but it still scares me watching them chop and split a little.

Any suggestions on how to teach kids to use edged tools would be appreciated.
 
Square_peg said:
I think it's economics not lawsuits that is driving the industry. Industry has insurance and lots of lawyers. I can't remember hearing of a lawsuit against a toolmaker. Anyone else heard of one? I'm sure they're out there but I haven't seen any evidence that it's common.
Click to expand...

As a contractor, I can tell you that there are tons of lawsuits against tool manufacturers.
And in return, the manufacturers have been working hard to limit liability by producing
tamer tools.

garry3 said:
Condensed version. It will release pressure if it gets hot. Self closing lid, screened spout. The list can go on and on depending on the agency. With different state and federal agency's having there own specifications. There are specifications for everything that the government builds or has built. And I mean every nut, washer,screw or gravel, dirt, fence post,you name it. I have not heard of specifications on pens and pencils, but for some agency's it would not surprise me at all.
Click to expand...

On sites in NYC, one has to literally lock up any kind of flammable materials in an approved
can and that has to be stored in a room or cage (if in the field) under lock & key.

For me, safety was a daily lesson for us in Roofing where a mistake can cost someone's life. I was literally responsible for safety compliance and had to make sure that when OSHA reared it's ugly head on site, there was nothing they could bang us on. Generally speaking, most of them were nice guys who really wanted to burn the idiot contractors who had no scrupples to operate a site, but there were also a few anus ditches who looked for and sought out areas that they could write someone up on and hand them a ticket with a nice fat fee. I kept an eye on my crews for their sakes however (not to avoid getting ticketed & fined). It's just the nature of our trade that we looked out for each other.

Now, in relation to ax safety? There are ways to store an ax. Laying them on the ground was still a dumb idea.
The correct thing to do was to put each tool in it's home when it wasn't being used (on a roof, that'd be a gang box).
There should be standards & practices that force workers to get in the habit of doing the right thing on any site of a
competent contractor. Besides sparing the possible trauma to a worker, there's also the care for the tool itself and
in wanting to protect it from being damaged or run over.


bbforstr said:
Any suggestions on how to teach kids to use edged tools would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

If I may, pictures of injuries help a lot; It's the typical "Scared Straight" approach of OSHA in their training course to certify that workers have gone through at least 10 hours of safety instruction before they get their OSHA Card (managers have to get a 40 Hour Card).

Having been both a crew member and manager, I can tell you that the one thing they took away from the classes were the graphic images of the injuries. They (the workers) would bring it up when correcting each other on the job. If kids "see" what can happen if they aren't careful with tools (any kind of tool for that matter), it will make one's job easier in trying to train them on how to respect a tool.

That along with setting a good example in front of them.

:)
 
Last edited:
Operator1975 said:
When in the field -

Steel toe boots
Carhartt overalls/bibs

I don't use gloves when chopping because I like to grip the axe with my hands and not with gloves. This isn't for everyone so gloves might be for you.

When walking U carry the axe in your hand, not over your shoulder. You fall down or stumble toss the axe away.

When chopping u have to bend at the knees. This gets harder as u get tired. This is when accidents happen.

When working on axes -

Apron
Glasses
Steel toe boots(ever drop an axe head on your foot?)
Gloves sometimes when sharpening

I'm sure there is more but that's all I got right now.
Click to expand...

Tight heads so there no movement of the head to handle
Radius of cut is free from any object, overhead branches, and people
Keep the axe blade paralell to the ground so with shorter axes, work from your knees

Younger people can control the axe, the test is they hold out the axe with a straight arm without it dropping down
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top