Author Topic: Drill press operation gone seriously wrong -- safety issues.  (Read 983 times)

Offline goodfellow

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Drill press operation gone seriously wrong -- safety issues.
« on: September 10, 2022, 03:25:08 PM »
I was always told by many old-timers over the years that the drill press is the most dangerous machine tool because it seems so simple and intuitive to operate, and because of that, it often leads to severe injuries.

Case in point the following video. This gent is well familiar with machining and shop safety, but he failed to secure his work in a fixture or vise and chose to secure the part by simply holding it in place. I've been there, and many of my friends who have garages or machine shops have experienced this same issue. We were lucky and still have all our digits, but many are not so fortunate.

It doesn't matter if it's just one simple hole -- these days I make sure I secure my workpiece on the drill press table before I do anything else.


« Last Edit: September 10, 2022, 03:27:11 PM by goodfellow »

Offline stokester

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Re: Drill press operation gone seriously wrong -- safety issues.
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2022, 06:54:01 PM »
Good safety lesson for us all.

One of the safety procedures that sticks with me is the removal of rings.  The AF stressed it continuously through my career, while a ground tech there was usually a picture of a finger nearly burned through by inadvertent contact between power and ground on the required safety board.  Later as an aircraft crewmember they had to be removed before entering the aircraft before a mission.  To emphasize this for me I have a close friend who slipped while climbing down a tree stand while deer hunting.  The ring caught and now he has three fingers on his left hand.

When working at the Chevy store and reviewing many how-to videos removing rings is not a common practice.

Be safe everyone.
Nick
Yorktown, VA