Shop Safety Rules, Everyone Must Know

By: Jan Hajek | Date Posted: September 2, 2020

Did you know that a workplace injury occurs every 7 seconds? While it’s possible to get injured working any job, some jobs are more dangerous than others and require a certain level of precaution.

For instance, if you’re working in a shop with heavy items and dangerous tools, you need to be familiar with basic shop safety rules. Not knowing these rules or not following them can lead to serious injury to you or someone around you.

  • Not sure what those rules are? Looking for a detailed breakdown that lays it all out clearly for you? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll tell you all about the basic workshop safety rules. We’ll give you a few tips you can use to stay safe, as well as tell you about a few common mistakes that you need to avoid.

Once you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to start working in a shop today!

Shop Safety Rules: Tips to handle it properly?

Wear the Proper Clothing

Shop safety begins long before you step foot in the shop itself. In fact, one of the most important things that you can do to protect yourself in a workshop setting better is to make sure you have on the proper clothing beforehand.

Knowing what you need to wear depends on what exactly you’ll be working on, as well as what equipment you’ll be using. With that being said, wearing long pants and boots is always a good idea, as well as a great place to start. For some shops, steel-toe boots may even be required, which is worth noting if you’re heading into a new work environment soon.

If you’re dealing with heavy machinery often, eyeglasses are another must-have and a great way to stay safe and protected. And if you have long hair, make sure you keep it pulled back, so it doesn’t get caught in anything you are working with.

Keep Your Space Clean and Organized

If you’ve ever tripped or stumbled over something in your home because you let it get a bit too messy, you know just how dangerous clutter can be. Now, imagine that same situation, but instead of being at home, you’re in a workshop surrounded by dangerous machinery.

Not the best scenario to put yourself in. That’s why we recommend that you keep your space clean and organized at all times. Failure to do so could lead to you or someone around you getting seriously injured, which of course, isn’t what you want.

Need a pro tip? Try to clean up small messes every time you make one. This will help you stay organized and remove unhealthy clutter and prevent you from having a bigger mess at the end of the day.

Stick With Basic Tools Early On

Handle different types of tools

We get it. You want to get into a workshop and start using everything available to you as quickly as possible. And while that may be okay if you have some experience with various tools and machines, it’s a great way to get yourself hurt if you’re a beginner.

Because of this, we suggest that you stick with basic tools and machines early. That way, you can give yourself time to get comfortable with your new environment, as well as the equipment around you, before trying to advance.

You can browse sites like ArchiPro to find building hardware and materials.

If you need to work with a tool or machine you’re not familiar with, ask someone to help you the first few times. That way, you can make sure you protect yourself, those around you, and even the tools and equipment.

Don’t Use Equipment Without Training.

Don't Use Equipment Without Training.

To piggyback off that last point, it’s important to note just how important proper training is when dealing with certain tools, machines, and equipment. To put it bluntly, not knowing what you’re doing, and trying to figure it out on your own, is a great way to end up in the emergency room.

  • Again, if you have access to someone else who is more experienced than you, lean on them for help early on. That way you can learn how to use the gear around you the right way in a safe environment.

If you’re working in your own personal shop alone, watch plenty of tutorials online beforehand, and take extra precautions. Also, inviting someone over who knows a bit more about what you’re doing is always a good idea, if possible.

Make Sure Your Space Is Well Lit

We touched on a few ways to keep your workspace safe earlier, including keeping things clean and organized and removing all clutter from around you. Another great way to make your workspace a safer one is to make sure that it’s well-lit, especially if you don’t have access to natural light.

Investing in quality LED shop lighting is a great place to start, especially if you’re setting up your own personal shop at your home. Having multiple light sources, like lamps and headlamps, are great when working at night, too.

If you’re working during the day, and you can, try to get plenty of natural light in your workspace. Opening up a garage door or a window can not only help you see but even improve your mental health too.

Avoid Food and Drinks When Working

Avoid Food and Drinks When Working

Working hard for hours at a time in a shop can be tiring. It can also make you both hungry and thirsty, which may lead to you being tempted to drink and snack in your workspace.

While keeping a water bottle near is okay, avoiding food and drinks while working is always a good idea. Having a separate space to eat and drink, away from equipment and tools, can help prevent you from having an accident in the shop.

On top of that, it will encourage you to take breaks every once and a while and step away from your workspace. That will help prevent you from working too hard and burning yourself out, leading to you becoming careless and possibly injuring yourself.

Avoid Horseplaying Completely

Horseplaying around with friends in a workshop setting is never a good idea. It can lead to someone breaking something, or getting hurt, which of course, is never a good thing.

Again, taking breaks and getting outside of the workspace is more than recommended. That way, you can goof off with friends or family without having to worry about serious injury.

When you’re in the shop, make sure that you and everyone around you take whatever it is you’re doing seriously. Having one person not follow that rules can be quite harmful to everyone, so accountability is an absolute must when working with other people.

Watch Out for Other Workers

The Workforce

If you’re working in a workshop by yourself, you don’t have to be on the lookout for other people. But if you share a workshop, especially if it’s with multiple people, you always need to keep an eye out for those around you. This is especially true if when using tools or machines or when lifting and moving heavy items.

The best way to ensure that you and everyone around you are safe is to maintain strong communication in the workplace. If you’re walking behind someone, simply saying “behind you” will alert them of your presence and keep both you and them safe.

  • Also, if you see someone doing something that looks particularly dangerous, avoid their area completely unless helping them. That way you can make sure you and everyone around you maintain a safe working environment.

If you’re going to be in charge of a shop or are already, writing these rules down and posting them somewhere is a good idea. And if you have your own personal shop, hanging up rules for guests to see can help ensure everyone treats your workspace with proper caution.

Shop Safety Rules All Beginners Need to Know

Well, there you have it! That is an in-depth breakdown of shop safety rules that you, and anyone else in your workspace, need to know and follow.

  • Remember, staying clean and organized and working in a well-lit space is of the utmost importance. That, combined with wearing the right clothes and being cautious while working, should keep you and anyone else in your shop safe from harm.

Want to build things? Not quite sure how to get started? Check out our blog for more useful construction tips and tricks!

Work Smart, Save Lives: 5 Construction Safety Tips


FAQs

What are workshop safety rules?

Here is the list of basic workshop safety rules every beginner needs to know:
1. Wear proper clothing: long pants, strong boots, and goggles.
2. Tie up your long hair and roll up your sleeves.
3. Keep your space clean and organized.
4. Stick with basic tools early on.
5. Do not use equipment without training.
6. Make sure your space is well-lit.
7. Avoid foods and drinks when working.
8. Watch out for other workers.

What is workshop safety?

Workshop safety is protection from the risk of harm or injury to humans or damage to machines and tools in the workshop.

How is safety important?

A safe and healthy workplace not only protects workers from injury and illness, but can also lower injury/illness costs, increase productivity and quality, and improve workers’ morale.

Thank you for reading!

Jan Hajek
 

I am an experienced writer. I write about home improvement topics such as construction, electrical work, plumbing, security and safety, interior design, exterior design, tools and woodworking, gardening, and garage organization. I love helping people improve their homes and make them more enjoyable places to live.

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