Hey everybody. This is my first post and I couldn't think of anything better to be talking about. It is great to see a safety section in a forum like this. I belong to many forums, on trucks, sleds, dirt bikes etc and NONE of them have anything on safety. So many injuries happen at home working on personal equipment as well as at work. I wish everyone knew how important PPE (personal protective equipment) was. It is well worth the money to go out and buy yourself some PPE to have at home. They make so many good looking styles and well fitting types of PPE, nobody should be without it. Glasses, gloves, boots, face shields, welding helmet, goggles, respirator, earplugs, etc, etc, etc. Did you know that sunglasses are part of PPE? Educating yourself on the proper PPE for each job is very important, like different respirators and gloves for different chemicals. I have learned alot over the years from working at places that don't give a crap as long as the work is getting done, to places like where I work now, where safety is #1. And it really is. Thanks for reading this and I hope that everyone will think more about safety for everything they do. Think of it this way. There would be alot less drinking and driving if mothers would join M.A.D.D. BEFORE they lose a child, rather than after. And there would be alot less injuries if we start thinking safe before we get hurt, rather than after. Thanks again for reading this.

Welcome to the borads Awsum, I hope you have a good stay- the folks here are real friendly and know their stuff too (very rare these days hehe).

Your Safety comments could not be more relevant to all walks of life. My first motorbike accident happened about 20 years ago and had I not bought the most expensive helmet I could afford the surgeons said I would certainly be dead. As it was, I got away with a broken pelvis, skingrafts and it looks like someone's taken an angle grinder to every boney bit that sticks out on me legs and arms.

Talking of angle grinders- I've seen people taking one to lenses coated in Thorium Fluoride. When I told them that Thorium was more tightly controlled that Uranium or Plutonium from a contamination point of view (ie, you can have more Pu or U dust on your workbench than Th232) they said "ah, it's ok we got these papaer masks on"...

What people dont know is that paper masks will develop holes bigger than the dust they are meant to stop within about 5 minutes of use. Fact.

Anyway, I'm rambling on! welcome again :)

Hey ImanCarrot!! Thanks for the reply and the warm welcome. A friend informed me of this website and I joined to see what it was all about. I never had much to write about but there sure are a lot of interesting things to read on here. There are soooo many talented people out there and I can't believe some of the projects they are working on. Where do you guys find the time? Anyway when I saw the safety section and read some of the stories there, I wanted to reply to them all so I decided to say my piece in a new thread. There were too many stories from people that just got "LUCKY". I'm not looking to boss anybody around and preach, I'd just like to get people thinking a little safer. I don't want anyone to go home and explain to their wife and kids that dad lost his eyesight because he couldn't be bothered to wear safety glasses. It's not worth it. And once the damage is done, it may be too late to say, well I'll start wearing my safety glasses now. Just imagine not being able to see your kids grow up, or your wife, or your new truck that you can't drive any more!! Just too much to risk. And please no rude comments from anyone, I don't mean to offend anyone by this post, just help.