What safety devices do you use in your shop?

This is the only channel I subscribe to where I don’t expect to hear about cat tourniquets, but it does make sense

I have multiple tourniquets. In my kitchen, in my vehicle and in my range bags/shooting gear but never thought having them in my shop. Willing be adding more.

I bought a Gripper when I first started WW a few years ago and it is still my favorite safety tool. best part is that it gives you complete control over the workpiece on BOTH sides of the sawblade.

Tourniquets can be an absolute life saver. We used them A LOT on deployment. Sometimes it takes more than one, we had to use three to stop a femoral bleed.

When working in my garage I always make sure my wife is home and knows I am out there. I ask her to check on me occasionally. I have a phone, 1st aid kit and extinguisher out there as well. Few yrs back took an Advanced Wilderness & Remote 1st Aid course instructed by a paramedic. Though it was a 3 day course we learned a lot. He too stated don't be cheap on the Tourniquets. We learned that the average person without a tourniquet can loose consciousness in approx 90 seconds and bleed out in less than 3 - 4 mins; quicker if one is on certain meds such as blood thinners. Was a very excellent course to take. Highly recommend it for everyone. Can be used for every thing related to 1st aid a lot more advanced than your typical everyday 1st aid training.

For the fire extinguisher, don’t go to the big box store. Check into a local Extinguisher company. You get an all metal one. It can be refilled. They come with a longer warranty. They are really worth the money.

Not a device, but as a rule, I never use gloves or wear long sleeves around any kind of saw. I would much rather get a splinter or feel cold for a few minutes than lose a finger or worse. I often get poked fun at for the gloves especially, but I want to know EXACTLY where the ends of my fingers are around things that would eat them for lunch. You were right, number 3 surprised me, but that will be an excellent addition to my equipment. Thank you.

Fire Extinguishers are only for small fires, or to make a path for you to exit the area. Always call 911 if you have to use an extinguisher. Get the Firefighters on scene to make 100% sure the fire is out. Make sure that all your bleeding control is a one handed operation, you may only have a single hand/arm that is uninjured. Practice with the Tourniquet BEFORE you need to use it. Take a Stop the Bleed Class. Usually these are free and teach you the best way to stop major bleeding. If you have any kind of "creams" in a first aid kit, check if they or any of he other items, (Including the tourniquets) have an expiration date. Hope this helps

Great video as always, but surprised that eye protection wasn't somewhere on the list.

Thanks for the reminder to have theses in my shop at all times. Have been remiss

As always SAFETY FIRST! Great video

A useful tip for those of us who work alone in the shop: use a webcam or a security camera. My husband is almost always in his office working when I’m in the shop. We set up a very simple webcam and put the app on his phone and iPad. Whenever I’m in the shop, it’s nice to know that he has eyes on me in case something should go wrong or I have some kind of medical episode. Either way, it brings me peace of mind to know that he is checking on me and has my back.

Scored me an RZ mask on clearance at Tractor Supply. Feels comfortable. Will see how it feels long term.

Stumpy Nubs has an excellent video on shop first aid kits. The manual blood pressure cuffs make an excellent quick one hand tourniquet.

Those are some great recommendations for safety item, though I don’t recall eye protection. Moreover, I think one of our biggest safety devices is having our mobile phones handy as that plus the tourniquet can extend the golden hour.

Thanks, Matt, for including tourniquets in your video! Josh M has a great point. Make sure the tourniquets are true CAT tourniquets from North American Rescue. The genuine tourniquets will have the letters “CAT” stamped all over it- on the buckle, the back of the strap, and on the windlass. They usually cost between $30-40. Well worth the price when seconds matter. 16 years in law enforcement, and I just learned in training last week that the off brand tourniquets will likely fail. Don’t throw the “fakes” away though. Use them to practice with or donate them to your PD or FD so they can train with them.

Doing some late night (wine assisted) sanding. Shop speakers are sharing some wisdom from Van Morrison. I thought the people that frequent these videos might appreciate the music. I can't recommend highly enough, Full Force Gale, Whenever God Shines His Light on Me, and Dweller on the Threshold highly enough. God bless.

Safety glasses? Nobody’s working with tools if you can’t see. That would be my number 1 every time

Hi ya’ll. Active duty military, have had a fair bit of combat medical/ trauma care training, and just wanna throw a bunch of unsolicited info your way, haha. In my opinion, the tourniquet is the most important medical item you can own. Pre-stage those tourniquets to prevent fumbling and losing precious seconds. Peel the white time tab back and lightly stick it on one side so that it **does not cover the windlass catch**. Make sure it stays loosely and neatly folded up. Don’t have it twisted or just tossed somewhere all willy nilly. The goal is that when you grab it, you’re just slippin’ & rippin’ that bad boy on, aka, slip on/over the limb and pull the strap as tight as possible. THEN crank the windlass (the stick part). Cranking the windlass *will* hurt, but pain is temporary - death is forever. Crank it until bleeding stops, then lock it into the catch. Cover with the time tab, but don’t worry about writing on it. Why? You should be dialing 911 at this point! Guess what? Your call time is your time stamp.. Tell the 911 operator you applied it. NEVER REMOVE A TOURNIQUET. If bleeding restarts before EMS arrives, apply a SECOND one ABOVE the first one and repeat the procedure. Lastly, TRAIN YOURSELF. Simply watching a KZfaq video is NOT enough. Practice using it. Practice one handed. Tape up a fist and then run a scenario. Switch and repeat bc you never know which hand will be injured. Pretend it’s a leg injury, you can’t walk effectively, and your tourniquet is across the shop. Apply it to every limb. Know where the major veins run thru each limb. Just… Practice. I hope no one ever needs this information, but you know the saying… It’s always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Stay Safe.

Firefighter / Medic here so ummm yeah i keep full medical kit and installed heat/smoke detector sprinkler system and extinguishers.

I like this remake. Frequent safety reminders is a good thing. 👍👊

I have the same first aid kit in my work truck and I threw the twesers out the first time I used them and upgraded to metal ones. I also bought the larger one for my small shop and it's come in handy a few times. I have a tendency of cutting myself with the double edged pull saw. I always get bit buy the rip side go figure.

Recently purchased the MicroJig push block & used it for the first time this week. Worked great but I can see why they recommend 2 when working with longer pieces. Took your advise and ordered one of the RZ Masks today. Just finished ripping some melamine. I wore one of my left over "covid masks". Could still smell the wood dust coming thru the mask. This mask has no filter so I don't know how much it protected me. Better than nothing I assume. Thank you Matt for another awesome & informative video.

Awesome workshop tips! 👍Thank you.

Good job Matt! Thanks for the reminder---still need to get a tourniquet or two for the shop.

The best place for a fire extinguisher is near the exit door so you can decide to fight the fire or leave. Once a month turn your extinguisher upside down and check the gauge for proper pressure.

Awesome shirt! My church and a couple of others host a conference every year called Iron Sharpeneth Iron. I’m going to try to find this shirt for next year.

Two safety questions. Gloves or no gloves. Do you wear a metal or silicone wedding ring?

Mrs. Wilson Road Woodworks and I have a pair of the 3M WorkTunes hearing protectors that I bought for use while mowing our property. I'll likely get double-duty out of them in the shop this summer too! I previously had a pair of DeWalt hearing protectors (that died) and the WorkTunes are much more comfortable to wear for an extended time. I recommend the model with the gel pads on the ear pieces as they are more comfortable than the regular ones. If you have a pair of the regular ones you can simply buy the replacement gel rings and swap them out!

You won’t believe how I begged you to stand still so I could figure out your shirt, and BOOM….. I saw Prov 27.17. Now I have to watch the vid again to see what tips you shared today.

One that nearly everyone misses is a push stick for the miter saw by Fastcap. I first saw this on Stumpy Nubs channel. Very useful for those small pieces that would require your hands/fingers close to the blade.

You`ve made a real difference in the world... what more could a man wish for. My very best to you and yours!

long time emergency services... Fire Extinguishers (if you only have one) should be mounted at your exit door. This way you're at the door, able to escape and the fire is the other way. If it's still small, you can try to fight it, if it gets too big, you're already at the door, able to escape. I would recommend also a simple water/hand pump style as many fires will just be simple wood fires... less damage to the rest of your shop/tools from putting out a board on fire with water. If you use a "normal" extinguisher, that dry chem gets sprayed around, it coats everything, is horrible to clean up, and you taste it and cough for a week afterward from inhaling it while fighting the fire (ask me how I know).

Great tips. I another one I highly suggest is bring a cellphone into the shop and keep it on you or near by. it will save you valuable mins and seconds in case a emergency arises.

Great video! I need to get a few more things in the shop, but regarding the tourniquet I keep one in my car and actually had to use it on a gentleman at a car dealership. Never know when you need it but it’s better to have it than not.

You really inspire me and you make me keep going in my dreams

That burn cream can be super useful when reading KZfaq comments T_T

Vernier caliper works great for splinter removal...

I know the affiliate links help Matt out but do NOT buy tourniquets from Amazon. Fakes are rampant and the last thing you want in a situation where your life depends on it is to find out it's low quality and breaks or fails. That said, the CAT linked is the gold standard for tourniquets.

I truly appreciate the dedication you put into teaching safety in your videos! It’s the most important part of any kind of making

Howdy Mr. 731.. I must admit...In my new shop, I have nothing for safety (yet). I do have 1st aid and fire extinguisher in other shop which about 10 steps away. Good video. sometimes we get so busy, thinking about safety seems to be last on the list.

Big fan for a while. Love your videos. You inspire me a lot. Keep it up.

Not to be "that guy" but you may want to secure and protect that romex coming out of your j-box or better yet replace it with MC cable that is secured and protected properly. Thank you for your great content and hard work! God bless you and your family.

Great advice Matt, ordered the tourniquet from your link. Keep the info coming!

Good job. I spent a lot of effort and expense on my first aid kit. I did not know that 90 seconds was the conscious window for arterial bleeding. I thought it was longer. I guess that means I need a couple of tourniquets positioned around the shop since I tend to work solo. Even though I have practiced, I am not sure I can get it on properly in less than 90 seconds under emergency stress. I need to figure that out. Thanks. One side note, Isotunes products are OSHA compliant, not approved.

Great vid! For the worktunes, I recently replaced the foam ear pads with some gel ear pads designed for them on Amazon for $15 and they’re even comfier now. For anyone who’s ears get sore quickly from a lot of over the ear styles, I would highly recommend either replacing foam pads with gel or buying a pair with gel pads.

Need those headphones!!! Those “wood” be cool! Lol. Thank you Mighty Matt.

Will def buy a tourniquet, wish i had one 6 weeks ago when i cut my hand off on the table saw...

Congrats on 300K!!

Great tips, sadly I don’t have any of these lol I’ve been thinking about making a new push stick but I always stick with the basic

Got a chest seal in my shop med kit .... you never know! lol

As always, great content. Of the items you featured in the video, I use the 3M Worktunes. I sometimes use eye protection, but should probably be using it all the time. I also wear the dust mask sometimes, but just the disposable paper (medical) ones.

Matt - AWESOME video. I couldn't help but notice that nice miter saw station that you built - waiting on the video for that. I also noticed the new saw that you have for it. Very NICE! 1 more thing that I noticed in your video when you are talking about the hearing protection, I went back and noticed that in the dust mask section of the video, you were not wearing hearing protection - you may have had earbuds in at the time couldn't tell. I know I am the same. I always laugh at myself that I am not always 100% protected when working around the tools (dust mask, hearing protection, eye protection, push blocks...). That is something that I will be working on harder to make sure I am safe.

Underrated aspect of woodworking! Great reminder. Side note: What are your favorite podcasts to listen to?

Good list Matt

#3 should be in your shop, car, truck, house, pretty much anywhere you go. You may have to use it on yourself or to help save someone else.

Regarding the tourniquet. Buy as many as you think you need and strategically place them around your shop. Also buy one extra one. You’re going to use the extra one to practice with at least once a month. Buy a tourniquet that you can apply with one hand. Once a month practice grabbing that tourniquet put it on the high leg put it on the Hyrum the low arm etc. and time yourself. You don’t practice with it you’re gonna mess it up we gotta do it in real life‘s. Remember when you buy your equipment assume that your hands are going to be slippery and covered in blood and by the proper tourniquet with a proper winding stick on it that you can use when your hands are wet slippery with your own blood. 911 is not an option for bleeding control, you will be dead by the time they show up

Safety classes and an osha approved face shield. Far more important than the tourniquet. Eyes and ears should be your main concern.

A few days ago, I had serious stomach pain and had to go to the hospital. They did tests on everything. One thng they did was a chest XRay. Though I do not have any immediate problems, they did find a couple of nodules. I do not like nodules because they could turn cancerous. One is not a worry. The other should be watched. How did I get them? I don't really know. I do not smoke. However, I do woodworking, and I didn't always wear a mask. I will now for sure. Get one and wear it.

Great informative video

I was installing overhead dust collection, and "missed" the bottom step on the ladder. Landed directly on shoulder and hip. Knocked my head pretty bad on table saw. Lost my breath. I had my cell phone in my pocket. HOWEVER, it was one of those wrap around screen phones. I could not dial it whilst lying flat on my back, because I couldn't hold it without touching the screen. My wife was upstairs, heard the fall and came out after she heard me yelling.. I've got a new phone, and a referee's whistle now. She knows what the whistle means. I "try" not to do ladder work when she is not home...

Man you got some good shirts! Had to say it!

Fe does sharpen Fe but so does Highly compressed C… just sayin’ lol.

I have an RZ mask, but I feel like it's too small. I need to get a bigger one.

do you ever wear ear protection with dust protection at the same time?

My safety woodshop kit is running out of the garage screaming and waiting for the neighbors 911 call.

Good common and not so common sense

Probably should have a fire extinguisher in your house regardless if you woodwork lol

...and what you can't buy: Awareness

Don't be afraid to ask Jesus to restore your hearing. He is able and willing to do this.

Good advice....guys overlook safety way too much...I know bc I'm a guy :)

What is this “safety”… you speak of?

Man, if you are going to start putting the phrase "...will surprise you..." in your video titles, I am SO OUTA HERE. I am so disappointed in you for that.