Woodturning Deaths?

[Russell Neyman]

Somehow, a flurry of dialogue over "the inherent possibility of serious injury" in Woodturning. Okay, okay, I understand the need for eye and lung protection, but as long as we stay clear of the line of fire (the area directly opposite the axis of the wood) I think we're safer than riding in a car.

How many woodturning deaths actually occur each year? I searched the Internet and could only find one or two. Yes, we have to use common sense and work smart, but I don't think we need to live in fear.

[Thom Sturgill]

While I agree not many deaths, I would consider more than just eye and lung and get a good face shield that is impact rated. (Un)common sense can prevent or lessen most accidents, unfortunately it only takes an instant of inattention to have serious results. Preventative issues like moving the off switch, or adding a new one help too.

I tried moving mine, but the switch messed up and I had to put back the original. I now routinely turn off the machine with the butt end of my gouge when working from the rear of the machine rather than crossing the 'line of fire' with my body.

[Bill Bukovec]

Might not be a bad way to go, if it happens on your 100th birthday.

[Justin Stephen]

The only I can remember hearing about was that female turner a couple of three years ago. It would seem to me that, for the way most people turn, the risk of actual death is very low, borderline "fluke" territory. However, the risk of serious injury (loss of an eye, head trauma, etc.) is very high.

[Ralph Lindberg]

The only I can remember hearing about was that female turner a couple of three years ago. It would seem to me that, for the way most people turn, the risk of actual death is very low, borderline "fluke" territory. However, the risk of serious injury (loss of an eye, head trauma, etc.) is very high.

That would be the Grad Student that got her hair tangled and the action strangled her? If so it was more like four years ago. Just after that the DW got a couple strands of hers caught in the chuck, she is much more careful now.
It's been over 2 years since I heard of a death, but before that it was every year or two for the about the last 10 years. All but the Grad Student were head injuries of one sort or another.
Every one of those the victims did not wear a face-shield.

[charlie knighton]

seems to me there was a Tennessee turner who died while turning some sort of burl which exploded

[Justin Stephen]

That would be the Grad Student that got her hair tangled and the action strangled her? If so it was more like four years ago. Just after that the DW got a couple strands of hers caught in the chuck, she is much more careful now.
It's been over 2 years since I heard of a death, but before that it was every year or two for the about the last 10 years. All but the Grad Student were head injuries of one sort or another.
Every one of those the victims did not wear a face-shield.

Hadn't heard about that one. No, the one I am thinking of was an older female turner who was very popular. Her piece either exploded are came off the lathe and hit her in the head. I seem to recall her husband found her some time after it had happened. I didn't know her personally so her name escapes me at the moment.

Edit:

Found it. It was in 2011. Her name was Joan Kelly. There was a thread over on the AAW forum about it. From that thread:

Many of you are already aware of Joan's dreadful accident on May 4, but I will give a brief account: Joan was turning a heavy bowl blank on her lathe. It flew to pieces and one large piece struck her in the face and forehead causing profuse bleeding and underlying injuries to the face and skull. I found her within what must have been a very few minutes, called an ambulance, and applied a compress. She got to the hospital having lost a great deal of blood and requiring transfusions. She immediately went into surgery. Over the last ten days, her blood pressure and other vital signs have generally stabilized. We hope that the swelling is decreasing, and Tuesday a lumbar puncture lowered the pressure on the brain dramatically. We pray for a good recovery, but she has not yet regained consciousness. She is receiving outstanding medical care.
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the incredible outpouring of prayer, sympathy and assistance that has already occurred. Many of you, plus Joan's many other friends, have blessed us with prayers, assistance and love. The community on Joan's beloved Ocracoke Island have sent us their love. The contra dancers are praying for her, including dancers in Little Rock and Huntsville, who were recently delighted by her talented calling. Close friends in Joan's jazzercise and yoga groups have been on hand. Clergy from Idlewild and a number of churches have prayed with us. Dear friends have been with us daily, offering prayer, food, sympathy and greatly appreciated medical expertise. Whatever remains ahead, Joan should know that she is admired, treasured and loved to a degree that exceeds her wildest dreams. For my own part, I am humbled by the staunchness and devotion of so many wonderful people. For the last few days, some lines of Yeats have been running through my head: "Think where man's glory most begins and ends, And say my glory was I had such friends."

[Thom Sturgill]

If I recall correctly, she was wearing eye protection but not a face shield. I doubt that a cheap shield of the type sold at Lowes or HomeDepot would have helped.

[Reed Gray]

There were at least 3 very serious accidents in a short period a year or two ago. Kind of like driving a car, you always have to pay attention, and most of the time that will keep you fairly safe. I never trust any piece of wood till it is finish turned, sanded and finished.

robo hippy

[Dale Bonertz]

Common sense only goes far as having some experience with what you are doing. If very little or no experience one has no common sense on an action.

I heard of two accidents recently in which both turners are at least intermediate turners. One has turned many bowls using a point center so to him it works and is fine. Until he put an exceptionally oval dried blank on his lathe and put to much pressure on the blank and as he was truing the outside the point split the bowl. He was not hit but was very shaken for as he explained he could have been hit. Took out his light over the lathe and pieces went around. The other was also turning a dried blank and he did not tighten his sliding head stock down tight enough and it moved back while truing the outside of the bowl. Bowl came off the lathe and bounced around a bit. One can say they did not use common sense or maybe sometimes we get complacent because we have done it this way a hundred times without fail. Moral of the stories is double check your lathe settings even if you think your in the habit of turning speed down when you leave the shop or etc. BTW they were both turning at what would be considered safe speeds.

I hear so many talk about the line of fire and then you see videos and read how people are rough turning or truing a bowl. When turning right handed you cannot help but put your body in the line of fire when turning the outside of a bowl. Granted if it is a bowl 12" and under or a not very deep bowl you can stay out of the line pretty well. If turning a larger bowl or deeper bowl it is very difficult to keep your body out of the line as you come up the side of the bowl from the base to rim, right handed. This is especially true if you are using a "roughing cut" which many use a pull cut and this puts your body directly in the line of fire. There are ways to rough turn without putting any of your body in the line of fire which learning to turn left handed is one way, for roughing. Once a bowl is trued and inspected then putting your body in the line of fire intermittently is generally OK and unavoidable.

Be safe out there. Maintain about 10% fear of the piece of equipment your operating and for the most part this will keep you alert to think about what you are doing and is it safe. To much fear and you overcompensate by holding things with a death grip or etc. It is when you no longer have any fear when it will get you.

[Reed Gray]

The young woman who died at the lathe was on a metal lathe, and her long hair got caught on the lathe, and she was strangled. She was also working alone. There were 2 incidents of pieces that blew up, and killed 2 different turners. I believe one was related to not checking the speed first. There have been a number of times when questionable pieces have exploded and done serious damage. Some times it is ignorance, some times just being careless or not paying attention. So, in part, know your limits, and be alert.

I do have a 'How to stand out of the line of fire when turning bowls' video clip in my brain percolating. Need to get it done. It involves figuring out how to put into a demonstration what I do by habit without thinking about it.

robo hippy

[Russell Neyman]

"...stress levels for novices can be alleviated by starting them off on previously prepared round & trued spindle blanks using cone/ring centres as drives...The work simply spins rather than having an inexperienced turner wrestle with unexpected tool movement from a catch and becoming frightened by the whole experience. It also teaches novices to avoid making heavy cuts and to concentrate on taking light technical cuts or the work piece simply spins..."

I like that. I see beginners choose a cheap, crappy wood for their first time -- lumber yard fir or cracked pieces of firewood -- and that's a big mistake. I usually start a newbee with wet madrone because it cuts like butter and I have plenty of it. Seems to me the first lesson should be wood selection.

[hu lowery]

Home shops are by their very nature unregulated environments. Most are not even known to exist. I took a quick look at something that is better documented, mainly because it costs insurance companies millions a year. The below is a little information from two states and an "initiative"

Judging by the other numbers I would say the number the initiative is using is very conservative. However, at a bare minimum, over ten people a month on average are killed by farm tractors in the US. Worldwide the numbers are truly horrendous in some countries. But let's stick with the ten or twelve people a month number. How many of those deaths are the members of this forum aware of? How many can you find reported? Farm deaths are much bigger news than home workshop deaths because of the insurance costs and a powerful farm lobby. Still I would bet any of us without a special interest in farm tractor deaths don't notice ten news articles a year about them, much less ten a month!

Home workshop deaths aren't news and most deaths in a home shop aren't documented as to why they happen. We don't have a clue what the number of lathe related deaths or turning related deaths are, or major injuries. There isn't any real interest in this information except from us.

Hu


(Included text)
From 2003 through 2010, 74 farm operators and workers inIowa died from tractor-related injuries. Most of these fatalities wereassociated with tractors that overturned on the farm or roadway, where thetractor did not have ROPS to prevent the operator from being pinned under orthrown from the tractor.(note that this is only rollover injuries on tractorswithout ROPS(Roll over protection, Hu) my error, this is all tractor related deaths despite the article being about deaths without ROPS.
(end included text)
[ Not stated is that people rarely wear seatbelts on atractor and the ROPS itself is a major cause of injury or death when no seatbelt is worn. Also there are other tractor related deaths besides rollovers.Hu]

(Included text)
From 1971 to 1981, a study to characterize Georgia deathsassociated with farm-tractor accidents was undertaken as a basis for developingpreventive recommendations. For each death certificate listing a farm-tractoraccident as the cause or contributing cause of death, information wasabstracted concerning the characteristics of the victim and the accident. Twohundred two tractor-associated fatalities occurred in Georgia during the studyperiod.
(end included text)

(Included text)
Farm tractors accounted for the deaths of 2,165 farm between1992 and 2001.
The most common type of tractor accident is roll overs—TheU.S. Department of Labor (USDL) reports that 44% of farm accidents are due totractor roll overs.
The National Agricultural Tractor Safety Initiative reportsthat tractors cause about 130 deaths annually, or half of all farm workerfatalities.
(end included text)

[Bill Boehme]

Somehow, a flurry of dialogue over "the inherent possibility of serious injury" in Woodturning. Okay, okay, I understand the need for eye and lung protection, but as long as we stay clear of the line of fire (the area directly opposite the axis of the wood) I think we're safer than riding in a car.

How many woodturning deaths actually occur each year? I searched the Internet and could only find one or two. Yes, we have to use common sense and work smart, but I don't think we need to live in fear.

An Internet search doesn't mean anything. I know several members of my club who have had serious accidents and you won't find anything about it on the Internet mostly because 99% od woodturners do not participate in turning forums. I agree with what Dale Bonertz said about no experience equates to no common sense. Your idea about staying out of the line of fire removing all risk is another mistaken notion. Definitely stay out of the line of fire, but the trajectory of something coming off the lathe will usually be altered by contact with something before it leaves the lathe. That expands the line of fire considerably. This means that you need to do things safely and not just assume that by standing out of the line of fire you are safe. Your face shield is not equivalent to Star Trek shields -- in fact they are hardly good for more that just small flying particles that could put out an eye. If you want to get an idea of what it feels like to get hit by a large piece of wood, try dropping it on your bare foot from mid chest height. Then multiply that by about a factor of ten. You probably wouldn't want to get hit with kind of force.

[terry mccammon]

Under the heading of for what it is worth. A friend's wife who is a retired plaintiff's attorney mentioned the other day that wood lathes were the single most "dangerous" tools in the wood shop. We speculated that while I presumed that table and chop saws were the worse, that loss of a finger or two is real cheap compared to skull and facial injuries. In her world dangerous = expensive. So there may be more incidents with saws but more dollars at the lathe.