Tool Safety

This vegetable slicer tool has a razor-sharp slicing blade. I did not want someone to accidently cut themselves if they happened to reach into the storage box where this slicer was kept. Therefore, I used three zip-ties joined together to reach around the slicer cutting board to hold the slicer slide handle in a position where it covered up the sharp blade. This serves two purposes in that this provides some protection over the sharp slicer blade so no one accidently cut themselves and it also keeps the slicer slide handle together with the cutting slicer cutting board so that it does not get lost.

The zip-tie can be easily snipped off with a scissors when the time comes for this tool to be used again. This is better than just covering the blade with tape because sometimes the tape will leave sticky adhesive on the blade. This could require that the operator use alcohol and a cotton pad to remove the glue from the blade. But again, this is also safety hazard because they can easily cut themselves when trying to wipe off the glue from the sharp blade.

The slicer slide handle is positioned over the top of the sharp slicer blade thus protecting anyone from cutting themselves if they happen to reach into the storage box (not realizing they might touch a razor sharp blade).

Think Safety

It is important that we teach our boys to think about “safety” whenever they work with tools so they do not injure themselves or others. For example, they should always where safety glasses when using a power grinder because they can get a glowing-hot piece of metal burned into their eye.

I personally know a man who would sharpen metal tools on a grinder without using eye protection. He would just squint his eyes half-shut while grinding but this did not help him when a glowing hot piece of metal struck him exactly in his eyeball. The pain was horrific and he was unable to pull the tiny metal shard out from his eye. He could not blink either because the piece of metal would be shoved side to side within the wound by his eyelid, thus making it hurt even more! He had to rush to the doctor where they needed special magnification in order to see and extract the tiny steel shard out of his eye! It was a painful experience that shows that everyone should think about safety because they can be blinded or maimed or even killed if they are not safe when working with power tools or machinery.

A little awareness of surroundings and taking some safety precautions can save many people from injury while on the job.

This is why we stress safety in every project we do so that the boys can learn how to be aware of potential risks while working with power tools or machines and take the necessary precautions to keep themselves safe. There is no reason they have to get injured but they can work for their entire lifetime without serous injury (if they will follow some basic safety rules).