An unexpected person that enters your shop can be dangerous. Do any of you have something to alert you?
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- Thread starter Webb Willmott
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My wife, children, and grandchildren all know that if I am running machinery not to startle me or approach me until I have turned it off. Any stranger walking through my door has other things to worry about.
I’ve used a cow bell on the entry door of two past shops for just such reason.
Tim
Tim
Isolation works for me.
I don't but I wish I had something. I live in a rural area so the only visitors I've had (to date) were family members, but I'd still like to have some kind of alwarm to let me know they came in. Probably some kind of flashing light since the tools might drown out an audible alarm if they're running.
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I'm deaf so I have my workshop organized so that whenever I am working at any tool or workbench, the shop's man door is within my line of sight... I have peripheral vision that is slightly beyond 180 degrees too.. I've had some call it a "sixth sense" that I have to know when someone's behind me... (its hard to sneak up on me!)
Only visitor would be my wife. When I first started turning, she came in while the lathe was on and tapped my on the shoulder. I told her not to do that again unless she wanted to call 911. Told her to stand off to the side where I could see her. I would know if family was coming and cease anything in the shop to visit.
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My wife was quite hearing impaired for a long time. Five or six years ago she had two cochlear implants which were life changing for both of us. But we had developed a habit that if I wanted to get her attention without startling her, I’d flash room lights. She similarly does that if she comes into the shop while I’ve got something running. It’s a very quick flash, and the switch is right by the door. That works for us.
Well, an old trick, flick the light off and on. That lets you know.
robo hippy
robo hippy
I keep a bright flashlight at the door. It has a very tight beam. When someone enters they shine the light onto the wall just at the edge of my peripheral vision and wiggle it. I see a bit of a flicker which I do not find startling. I find it gentler than the room light flashing.
I lock the door.
A shop keeper’s bell would be fine most of the time but still pondering times when cabinet saw in use.
No unexpected person has ever entered my shop.
I startle easily, so like Mark, I lock the door when I'm doing something that might be hazardous if I'm distracted, such as cutting up logs sections on the bandsaw.
I also have two remote driveway monitors on the inside and outside of the security gate so I know if a car is going out or coming in. If I'm expecting a visitor and have given them the access code or a friend comes, the incoming monitor alert gives me time to shut things down and greet them at the door. Works for me.
The distraction factor also applied to pets.
JKJ
Do you know why a person gets startled?…
Tim
Tim
I know the textbook descriptions. For me, it's really less of being actually startled than the momentary distraction when concentrating. I mention this in my bandsaw video.
When turning in front of an audience I find random interruptions are expected and not distracting.
It’s an involuntary reflex to put the body in a flight or fight response to an unexpected stimulus. Ever watch a pet jump a foot in the air when startled?
My reason for asking the original question is my neighbor thinking she was doing the right thing walked very quietly into my garage so as not to startle me while I was using a miter saw. Not to go into details but she now knows to be noisy and make sure I know she is there before even coming close to entering.
Being startled is the result of something near you appealing to only one sense. For instance, suddenly seeing someone without hearing them. Or hearing someone behind you. Or someone grabbing you in the dark. The response is the rest of your senses trying to rationalize what it is - and it is terribly consuming (distracting) untill resolved. The example above (making noise at a distance while approaching) negates the startled response as it helps the brain anticipate seeing someone; two senses detect a person. Distance is also an advantage to prevent being startled. For instance, only seeing someone at a significant distance typically isn’t startling…your brain has time to rationalize the observation without sensing any threat.
If you want to scare someone, appeal to only one of their senses - quietly walk around a corner so they suddenly only see you, say something from a hidden position (around a corner) as they approach so they only hear you, quietly reach out and touch them in the dark when they don’t know you are there…
In contrast, it’s interesting that if at least two senses are aware of a person, we typically are not scared. Making noise at a distance, or getting into a person’s field of vision at a distance are both great ways to help prevent being startled.
Tim
If you want to scare someone, appeal to only one of their senses - quietly walk around a corner so they suddenly only see you, say something from a hidden position (around a corner) as they approach so they only hear you, quietly reach out and touch them in the dark when they don’t know you are there…
In contrast, it’s interesting that if at least two senses are aware of a person, we typically are not scared. Making noise at a distance, or getting into a person’s field of vision at a distance are both great ways to help prevent being startled.
Tim
Locking the door could present a problem in case of injury where you can't open the door.
Check into door hardware you can unlock and open with your elbow or even knee.
And if concerned, be sure to have some way to alert family or neighbor without using your fingers on the phone.
JKJ
Everything we do in a shop has some danger associated with it. My studio is at the ranch in the middle of nowhere. I’m almost always by myself. If something happens and renders me unconscious, whether the door is locked or not makes little difference. If I can operate my phone then the rescuers can kick the door in with no problem. The lathe I use the most has a window at the headstock end. It will be a cold day in Hades I’m so unaware of my surroundings that I do not see someone walk by in my peripheral vision.
I’m much more concerned of having an accident with tractors, chainsaws or big animals than anything in my shop.
You mean something like this?
Tractors.
I believe a miracle occurred here.
- No damage to the tractor, not a scratch or dent. Did bend the drawbar.
- No damage to the driver under the tractor a few minutes before this pic, not a scratch or bruise.
- Lessons were learned from the post-rollover analysis.
Chainsaws.
A new but not pleasant experience: I once collapsed and passed out while chainsawing overhead. I had just enough time and sense to set the saw down and flip the off switch all while getting myself flat on the ground so I didn't collapse and smash my head on a rock. I quit chainsawing after that. It took a year of tests to find out it was caused by a seizure, easily controlled by meds.
Big animals.
Years ago I was injured by a 1100+ lb gelding. Might sound worse than it was. Very gentle horse. While brushing in the stall he accidentally stepped on my right foot and did considerable damage to root of the big toenail. Was painful but no broken bones.. Took a LONG time and several false starts but the broken toenail eventually regrew like new.
I rode that guy a lot on trails in the woods.
But I didn't jump or go like the wind, what these girls lived for.
I just took pictures. What a wonderful horse.
Can't really tell from the pics but he's galloping up a hill.
JKJ
Lesson one; that’s not near enough tractor for that load of gravel near the rear of the trailer!!!
I think the tractor is sufficient; hauled many such loads of gravel down the same road, before and after.
Actual lesson one for me: don't try to move that size of load if the entire front end loader was temporarily removed to repair a blown cylinder seal. That was dumb since my load calculations were with the FEL attached. (The FEL adds over 1000 lbs to the front axle load even with an empty bucket.) The reduced front end weight was just enough to prevent proper traction of the steering tires. Without sufficient steering traction, "interesting" things can happen in slow motion.
However, I do wonder if there is a good way to put a trailer hitch on the back of the tracked loader. Could haul a dump load of fill dirt, rocks, or gravel then use the skid steer to spread. Fortunately, I have a friend with dump trucks for moving over 20 tons at a time.
Your story confirms my comment. If you were a cat, you burned at least a couple of your “nine” surviving that accident; you were VERY lucky.
Like you, I’ve had serious near-misses that could have been fatal, yet walked away unharmed…I don’t even like to talk about them; but what lessons they were!
Tim
Last time I checked I was still not a cat. We do have four cats in our farm family - I'll see if they offer opinions on that.
JKJ