Huntingdon Area High School
Agricultural Education
Department
Shop Safety Study Guide
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Section 1: General Shop Safety
1. Moving about in the shop
a. Always walk in the shop
b. Never walk behind a student who is using one of the stationary machines
i. A board could kick back and get YOU
c. Give the stationary machines some space.
d. Only go out into the shop with teachers permission
e. Carry tools with the sharp ends pointed down
f. Act mature and responsible when in the shop – No goofing off
g. Use your inside voice – No yelling across the shop except for emergencies
h. Stay with the machines or tools until they stop running
i. Do not leave your assigned area to go socialize with someone across the shop
2. Apparel in the shop
a. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear safety glasses
b. Remove long necklaces, rings, bangle bracelets
c. Roll up yourselves
d. Have closed toe shoes
e. Wear long pants when welding
3. Some shop procedures
a. Store paints and other flammables in the flammable cabinet
b. Make sure these flammable containers close correctly
c. Check the area for flammable materials before lighting a torch or welding
d. Never use gasoline for cleaning
e. Do not throw gas or oil soaked rags in the general trash
f. Do not mix chemicals, oils, or pesticides for fun
g. Check over electrical cords for worn spots before use
h. Always turn off the electricity and disconnect before servicing equipment
i. Report all injuries and broken tools to the teacher
j. Work with sharp tools
k. Ventilate the shop when painting or staining
l. Never cut towards yourself
m. Turn on the dust collection system when using stationary machines
n. Always clean up after yourself  return materials and tools to where they belong
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4. Fire Safety
a. Three main types of fires
i. A  Ordinary Combustibles – Wood, paper, trash
ii. B  Flammable Liquids – Fuel, grease, paint
iii. C  Electrical – Involves the presence of electricity
b. Match the fire extinguisher with the type of fire
c. NEVER EVER use water on an electrical or grease fire
i. Water could be used on a wood or paper fire
d. Know where the different firefighting tools are located in the shop
e. If the fire alarm sounds, walk out of the shop following the correct route
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Section 2 – Portable Power Drills / Cordless Drills
1. Select the appropriate, sharp bit for the job
2. If a keyed chuck, make sure to tighten the chuck, then remove the key before use
3. Mark the material where the hole is to be made
a. Use a pencil mark on lumber or center punch metal
4. Secure the material with a vise or clamp to prevent it from moving
5. After drilling the hole, allow the drill to stop before setting it on the work bench
6. Do not drill into a container that may have once held flammables (this could start a fire)
7. Do not try to stop a piece of material that may be caught on the drill bit. Stop drilling, then
remove the material
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Parts of a Cordless Drill
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Section 3 – Portable Circular Saw
1. Set up the lumber so that long portion of the board is supported
a. Either clamped to a bench or supported by two saw horses
b. Never cut between saw horses, this will cause the lumber to pinch and bind the blade
2. Before plugging in the saw, check the blade and base for the correct settings
3. Mark the straight line on the lumber to be cut
4. Always move the circular saw by the handles, never grab it by the cord or knobs
5. Start the saw, then work into the lumber
6. Keep the base of the saw flat on the lumber  this ensures a proper and straight cut
7. Wait for the saw to stop before it is set down onto the work bench
8. Be aware of the location of hands and legs when cutting
9. To make angled cuts, unplug the saw, tilt and lock the base table
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Parts of a Circular Saw
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Section 4 – Portable Finishing Sander / Hand Sander
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Check to make sure the sander is off before plugging in the sander
Hold the sander up off the bench while plugging it in
When changing sand paper, preferably disconnect the power source or turn off the sander
Clamp the work in a vise, or if large enough, hold lumber with one hand and sander in the other
Hold the sander up off of the work piece while turning on the sander
Apply light to medium pressure when using the sander  don’t press down to make it cut faster
Remove the sander from the lumber before shutting it off
Do not set the sander on the edge of a work bench
Try to avoid blocking walkways with the power cord
Empty the sawdust collection bag frequently to improve operation
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Parts of a Hand Sander
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Section 5 – Portable Router
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2.
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6.
7.
Select the appropriate bit for the cut desired
Secure the work in a vise or with a clamp
Lock the bit into the chuck  Never assume it is secured
Make sure the switch is off before plugging into the outlet
Make a practice cut on a scrap piece of lumber to check depth and design selection
Always hold the router with both hands
Turn on the router and allow it to reach full speed, then move the bit into the lumber
a. Do not start the router against the wood
8. Finish the cut and move the router away from the stock before turning it off
9. Allow the router to completely stop before setting it down
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Parts of a Portable Router
Depth Adjustment
Guide Knob
Chuck
Base
Locking
Handle
Trigger
D-Handle
Power Cord
Motor Disconnect
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Section 6 – Portable Jig Saw
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Before plugging in the saw, check that the blade is straight and unbroken
Secure the wood with a clamp to the bench or in a vise
Cut along the waste side of the line
Make sure there is enough space under the work piece for the blade to pass
Support the cut-off section of the piece so the blade is not pinched
Check that the switch is off before plugging in the saw
Start the saw away from the lumber
Do not attempt to cut super tight curves
Do not attempt to “back up” in a cut while the saw is running
Once the blade has stopped moving, then the saw can be set down
Unplug the saw before changing blades, tilting the base, etc
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Parts of a Portable Jig Saw
Base
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Section 7 – Portable Belt Sander
1. Before plugging in the sander, check the condition of the belt and tracking
a. Make adjustments / Belt changes with the sander unplugged
2. When replacing a belt, make sure the arrows on the belt go in the direction of rotation
3. Do not let the belt run to one side of the pulleys
4. If a smaller piece of work, secure with clamp or vise
5. Make sure the switch is in the off position before plugging the sander in
6. Hold the sander up off the table when plugging it in
7. Use two hands to operate the belt sander
8. Start the sander off of the lumber, then lower the rear to the piece and then level out
9. Use light and even pressure across the work piece following the direction of the grain
10. Do not concentrate on one specific area
11. Lift the sander up off the work piece before turning it off
12. Make sure the sander has stopped before setting it on the work bench
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Parts of a Portable Belt Sander
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Section 8 – Power Miter Box / Chop Saw
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Before using the saw, make sure the guards are in place and working properly
Check the angle selection and make sure that it is securely locked
Dry cut to ensure that the angle is correct
Hold the long portion of the stock without criss-crossing arms
Make sure to keep fingers back away from the blade
Support long pieces of stock so that they are level with the saw table
Allow the motor to reach full speed before making a cut
Do not start the saw when the blade is touching the lumber
Allow the blade to pass through and back up before letting go of the switch
Once the blade has stopped, remove scraps and wood chips from the table
If the blade needs to be changed, unplug the saw from the power source
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Parts of a Power Miter Box
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Section 9 – Table Saw
1. Before starting the saw, check the blade for broken teeth and set the blade height so the valley
of the top teeth is at the top of the board
2. Set the guard over the blade at the correct height
3. Lock the fence at the correct distance from the blade. Don’t rely on the table scale. Use a tape
measure to check at the front and back of the blade.
4. Ensure the board is free of nails, screws, loose knots before ripping
5. Have a classmate standing to the side to help catch lumber coming off the table
6. Before using the saw, check for students behind the saw
7. Stand to the side of the blade when making a cut
8. Do not hold a board against the blade when starting the machine
9. Use a push stick when ripping lumber  no fingers close to the blade!!!
10. Turn off the saw and wait for the blade to stop spinning before leaving
11. Only remove scraps when the blade is stopped
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Parts of a Table Saw
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Section 10 – Jointer
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With power off, adjust the infeed table so that no more than 1/16 of an inch is taken off
Set the fence to the desired angle
If board is extremely long and hard to manage, have assistants to support lumber
Stand on the infeed side of the blades
Turn on the machine and allow it to reach full speed before starting to pass lumber through
NEVER run hands over the blade area
NEVER joint boards less than 12 inches in length
Make multiple passes along each edge, don’t try to take a lot off with each pass
Pass lumber from infeed to outfeed table
Turn machine off and wait for it to completely stop before leaving the area
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Parts of a Jointer
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Section 11 – Drill Press
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Secure stock in a vise or with clamp and the long portion of the stock to the left of the operator
Select the correct bit for the job
Use the key to tighten the chuck, then remove the key
Mark the spot on the stock to be drilled
“Dry Drill” to check placement before starting the drill press
Start the drill press and work through the material with steady, even speed
Use oil to lubricate the bit when drilling through thick metal
Wait until the bit has stopped spinning before leaving the machine
Do not drill into a container that may have held gas or flammable liquids
Do not worry about sweeping away chips and shavings while the drill press is running
Do not try to stop a piece of stock that is caught on the bit with your hands
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Parts of a Drill Press
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Section 12 – Radial Arm Saw
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Before starting the saw, check guards, locks and other adjustments
Change the angle of the cut prior to starting the saw
Inspect the blade for cracks or missing teeth
Hold the long piece of stock in one hand and the yolk handle with the other - no crisscross arms
While holding the handle, start the saw and allow it to come to full speed
a. Make sure to start the saw at the back of the track away from the lumber
b. The radial arm saw can feed itself through lumber!
6. Pull the blade forward, allowing it to cut at its own speed
7. Return the saw blade to the back of the track, passing through the initial cut
a. NEVER make a cut on the return pass
8. Turn off the saw blade and make sure it comes to a complete stop before leaving the area
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Parts of a Radial Arm Saw
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Section 13 – Planer
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Inspect the board for nails, screws or loose knots
Accurately measure the thickest part of the board and set the table appropriately
Only take off 1/16 of an inch with each pass
Make multiple passes to achieve the desired thickness
Do not be a strong man and shove boards through the planer
Have a classmate standing off to the side on the out end to support boards coming out
Stand to the side of the board with the power switch when feeding it into the planer
Start the planer with nothing inside it
The feed rolls should take the board into the planer
If a board becomes stuck, shut off the planer
When finished, turn off the planer and wait for everything to stop
Remove chips and scraps when the planer is off
Disconnect the power before greasing or oiling the planer
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Parts of a Planer
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Section 14 – Grinder
1. Before starting the grinder make a few inspections / adjustments
a. Check the wheel for cracks
b. Set the tool rest perpendicular to the wheel
c. Adjust the safety shield (that is clear) to block sparks, not vision
d. Set the tool rest 1/8 of an inch or less from the wheel
e. Make sure the wheel is greater than ½ the diameter size (not worn down a lot)
2. Do not wear gloves while using the grinder
3. Use vise-grips to hold smaller pieces of metal
4. Do not stand in direct line with the grinding wheel
5. Start grinder and allow it to reach full speed
6. Rest the work piece on the tool rest and evenly press into the grinding wheel
7. Do not force material into the grinding wheel
8. Only grind metal using the outside edge of the grinding wheel  Not the sides of the wheel
9. Turn off the grinder and stay with the machine until it comes to a complete stop
10. If the grinding wheel vibrates or shakes, stop the machine and tell the teacher
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Parts of a Grinder
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