Health and safety- Ugh!

Health and safety- Ugh!

What I like to call, don’t be an idiot!

In the UK, every workshop needs to have loads of large pictures explaining the bleedin’ obvious in case some idiot does something idiotic.

The big red button on a machine may well have a big red sign next to it that says “STOP”. Brilliant!

If you have a room with two doors, one of them has to have a sign that says “this way in case of fire”. The other one is likely to be a broom cupboard or a toilet. However terrified you get, it is my considered opinion that you won’t, in a blind panic, run into the bog thinking that was going to get you away from the fire.

Other signs are more day to day: it’s dusty, wear a dust mask, it’s noisy, defend your ears. That sort of thing. My favourite is ‘don’t put your hand near a blade while it is spinning’!

But, but, maybe there is a point to all this. Maybe workshops have become safer, maybe I shouldn’t be so cynical.

Here’s the point. The reason health and safety rocks is because it means making furniture is a whole lot less dangerous than it was, and, like wearing helmet on a motorbike, it means everything its more relaxed, you are going to have a hell of a lot more fun doing what you’re doing, and probably remain alive for many, many more years doing it.

Now where’s my hard hat, it’s my turn to make the tea.

Until next time,

Lakshmi

 

David established Rowden Atelier in 1995, a now world renowned fine woodworking school. Discover Rowden, the woodworking courses, and the work that students go on to do.

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