Lathe Safety

Using a lathe can be highly dangerous if the operator is not careful. High powered and fast spinning parts can crush, burn, or cut people. Before ever working with a lathe, people have to take the necessary safety precautions to avoid injury. Here are some ways in which lathe operators can remain safe.

• Remove any loose items such as rings, baggy sleeves, and watches.
• Never adjust anything on the machine without stopping it and waiting until the parts stop moving.
• Wear gloves while handling sharp drills and chisels.
• Wear protective safety glasses.
• Keep hair tightly secured back.
• Never directly touch moving parts.
• Do not move the machine without help, regardless of its weight.
• Do not operate without knowing where the emergency stop button is.
• Be careful with heavy pieces of wood and don’t drop them on the machine or on the feet.
• Always uses pliers or a brush to clean and remove shards of wood and metal.
• Do not lean onto the lathe.
• Never place or leave tools on the lathe. This creates a risk of the tools being left on the machine when it gets turned on.
• Keep the machine well lubricated and maintained.
• Do not measure a piece of work while it is spinning. Stop the machine first.
• When manually using chisels, do not get fingers too close to the wood.
• If sanding rotating wood, use two hands to hold the sandpaper at each end.