People I’m friends with on Facebook keep posting photos of cutting firewood via axes, woodsplitter, and chainsaw and they’re using these things - you can see the little chips from the chainsaw, for instance - WITHOUT SAFETY GOGGLES or hearing protection. (so it’s not the case that it’s a posed photo w/ the equipment, with safety stuff removed so as not to look dorky in social media photos, though IMO safety equipment is cool, not kidding there)
What I’d like to write is “you’re an effing moron, put safety goggles on, if you land in the ER with eye damage you’re going to suck up space and resources for a preventable emergency which is really selfish.” (UPDATE - my brother says he doesn’t recall using eye protection when he used the wood splitter growing up, so I could be wrong on that one but I still think better safe than sorry. Axe is also maybe a borderline case, I’m going to wear stuff. But chainsaw is DEFINITELY eye and ear protection. Also, I think my brother is misremembering because my dad is a safety nut)
I’m aware that’s not a great way to effect my desired change in behavior and for some people maybe they don’t know that using these tools should entail safety goggles (and in some cases hearing protection)?
Do you say something in these circumstances? If so, how do you phrase it in a way that people will take it well? People not taking it well is a pretty real concern here - I’m from a small town, I need to limit the number of enemies I have…
Unfortunately, you won’t change the behavior.
I’m in construction and we enforce safety on jobsites. We can send people home or let them go.
Sadly, I know of a few stories where they are safe at work but then do something at home that results in an injury or fatality.
I value my eyesight too much to not wear safety glasses when using power tools.
Unfortunately, you won’t change the behavior.
I’m in construction and we enforce safety on jobsites. We can send people home or let them go.
Sadly, I know of a few stories where they are safe at work but then do something at home that results in an injury or fatality.
I value my eyesight too much to not wear safety glasses when using power tools.
My dad does safety stuff professionally - he works at a paper factory. Hence my bias here is that I grew up with all these activities done with extra, extra caution.
If people aren’t likely to change it doesn’t seem worth it to say some version of “I see you said it was your first time doing this, as a heads up chainsaws can throw chips pretty well so I wear safety glasses when I use one” or the like.
it’s sad that it’s hard to find a way to say that without people getting pissy about it but I feel like that’s what would happen if I mention it, even if I find a way to do so politely
Unfortunately, you won’t change the behavior.
I’m in construction and we enforce safety on jobsites. We can send people home or let them go.
Sadly, I know of a few stories where they are safe at work but then do something at home that results in an injury or fatality.
I value my eyesight too much to not wear safety glasses when using power tools.
My son has a 16 yrold buddy who likes to post videos of himself doing crazy stuff which will likely end in his untimely death sometime soon . Last week it was of him going 125 mph down a 4 -lane on his motorcycle… I asked my son if he knew how fucking stupid that was … he did of course. And I then said I was going to tell his father what his kid was up to . My son said don’t bother …the idiot dad was on own bike the next lane over - I assume going the same speed. Sigh…
I’ll say this as nicely as possible. Mind your own business. If you are not responsible for their medical bills this doesn’t concern you. And these are not particularly dangerous things.
Unfortunately, you won’t change the behavior.
I’m in construction and we enforce safety on jobsites. We can send people home or let them go.
Sadly, I know of a few stories where they are safe at work but then do something at home that results in an injury or fatality.
I value my eyesight too much to not wear safety glasses when using power tools.
My son has a 16 yrold buddy who likes to post videos of himself doing crazy stuff which will likely end in his untimely death sometime soon . Last week it was of him going 125 mph down a 4 -lane on his motorcycle… I asked my son if he knew how fucking stupid that was … he did of course. And I then said I was going to tell his father what his kid was up to . My son said don’t bother …the idiot dad was on own bike the next lane over - I assume going the same speed. Sigh…
My default for most of these is the prayer hands emoji.
Covers many angles/instances. But thid is my default for many interactions, tbh.
Similar to the southern, bless their heart, etc.
By the post, the act has already been performed, right? All good in that case.
Otherwise, could be a post of ‘prayers up, or gofundme for medical emergency’. Whether said emergency could have been avoided, perhaps debatable. Prayer hands, still appropirate, and possibly appreciated even.
Maybe post links to youtube that emphasize best practices for using these tools? Maybe dont post that publicly? Publicly, lead with prayer hands?
Maybe post links to youtube that emphasize best practices for using these tools? Maybe dont post that publicly? Publicly, lead with prayer hands?
publicly I’m going with nothing, above poster had a good point
I did look up the OSHA recommendations for chainsaw and their requirement is eye, hearing pro plus leg chaps and if in woods, helmet. I couldn’t find any recommendations for woodsplitter safety, though I think this is the first time in my life I’ve looked up an OSHA thing so I might just not be finding it. I realize OSHA doesn’t apply to what people do on their own time, in their homes, but IMO if it’s the standard for workplace safety it’s not a bad practice to follow those guidelines at home.
As an aside, I see this sometimes on some of the home reno TV shows. Really sketchy people doing “demo day†without safety gear or doing it in a pretty clearly unsafe and unprofessional manner. After 30 years of the military drilling the use of proper safety gear into me, it just makes me cringe. I can’t help but think those people are walking advertisements saying “don’t ever hire me, I’m a lawsuit waiting to happen.â€
As an aside, I see this sometimes on some of the home reno TV shows. Really sketchy people doing “demo day†without safety gear or doing it in a pretty clearly unsafe and unprofessional manner.
well, you know what they say. You can’t fix stupid but you can give it eye protection. (Actually idk if anyone says that, I just came up with it)
that’s too bad, aside from their own safety, watchers then take away “I don’t need safety equipment here”
agree on the lawsuit, it’s interesting that no one related to the show has figured that one out.
Safety is no accident
got any good safety slogans? I love them…
Since it’s their first time, maybe say,"I see this was your first time to use x. I’ve used those a number of times and can offer some safety tips.
But yes, it’s a bummer people get pissy.
Speaking of ppe, when I was clearing my lot, I had gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, and my hard hat. I was particularly glad to have my eye protection and hard hat as both got used.
They could be wearing safety glasses and the chainsaw could slip and hit their knee cap and they end up with 17 stitches at the ER. My nephew can tell you all about that.
I’ll say this as nicely as possible. Mind your own business. If you are not responsible for their medical bills this doesn’t concern you. And these are not particularly dangerous things.
As a teenager and young adult, I have hundreds of hours running a chainsaw, wood splitter, chipper etc. Safety glasses were never even a consideration. I wear safety glasses now because it’s an easy way to limit the risk, but the dangers are fairly minimal.
Unless there running the chainsaw for hours, hearing protection is not really necessary.
I don’t wear safety glasses when using an axe or chainsaw. I do have normal glasses, but really cant even recall chips flying anywhere near my eyes while cutting things.
Everyone has there level of risk vs safety. Of course you can never take any risk around a safety person. GM really cracked down on eye protection at the grounds in the last 10 yrs. Even though they had never had an eye injury, except for people using angle grinders on metal without face shields. When pressed the answer always was just cause it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it can’t. Right, and my first day at Boeing my boss told me, you know how you build a plane that will never crash. Build one that doesn’t move.
I would say, leave them alone. I am sure they are aware of the risks.
I am guessing they don’t have chainsaw chaps on and I would say that’s a far more likely injury (and possibly deadly) than eye injuries.
I don’t feel like looking up the dB levels of a chainsaw and the osha exposure levels. but for someone going out for 30 min its no problem. Of course if there electric its totally fine.
EDIT: just reread your post… Woodspliter??? really I mean it doesn’t even make chips… why would you need eye protection? and what the hell woodspliter are using that is that load, to near hearing protection. Really, if you were to post on someones facebook those things, you would be called a Karen very quickly.
Well you would be wrong about these tools and eye injuries.
Unless there running the chainsaw for hours, hearing protection is not really necessary.
I don’t wear safety glasses when using an axe or chainsaw. I do have normal glasses, but really cant even recall chips flying anywhere near my eyes while cutting things.
Everyone has there level of risk vs safety. Of course you can never take any risk around a safety person. GM really cracked down on eye protection at the grounds in the last 10 yrs. Even though they had never had an eye injury, except for people using angle grinders on metal without face shields. When pressed the answer always was just cause it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it can’t. Right, and my first day at Boeing my boss told me, you know how you build a plane that will never crash. Build one that doesn’t move.
I would say, leave them alone. I am sure they are aware of the risks.
I am guessing they don’t have chainsaw chaps on and I would say that’s a far more likely injury (and possibly deadly) than eye injuries.
I don’t feel like looking up the dB levels of a chainsaw and the osha exposure levels. but for someone going out for 30 min its no problem. Of course if there electric its totally fine.
EDIT: just reread your post… Woodspliter??? really I mean it doesn’t even make chips… why would you need eye protection? and what the hell woodspliter are using that is that load, to near hearing protection. Really, if you were to post on someones facebook those things, you would be called a Karen very quickly.
Well you would be wrong about these tools and eye injuries.
Since you love data, follow the links… 85k leg injuries from chainsaw PLUS 71k Knee’s, VS 16k eye… So your data i now 156k to 16k… And yet you have no problem with them not wearing chaps… Oh how about leather boots and steal toes, 12k foot injuries (plus 8k toes) oh and 9k face injuries maybe they should wear full face shields like most lumberjacks and not just safety glasses. Upper and lower trunk 12k same as eye, did they have on a leather jacket… why not complain about that, just as likely an injury as eyes. More so if I include the 22k lower arms which are also protected by that jacket. remember I have a master’s in Statistics.
and for some people maybe they don’t know that using these tools should entail safety goggles (and in some cases hearing protection)?
