Personal Protection

common personal protection gear

No matter how well you know a tool and how many times you have read its manual, personal protection is essential to workshop safety. While everyone is generally responsible for their own PPE (personal protective equipment), some commonly needed items are suitable for sharing.

You can find those next to the door from the common room to the wood workshop.

Goggles

ToolInfoBox Goggles
Synonyms:	safety glasses, safety eyewear; DE: Schutzbrillen
Type:	safety gear
Material:	shrapnel, sparks, dust, liquids
Location:	common room

Wear goggles for any task involving dust, sparks, shards, chemicals or overhead work!

When using especially eye-threatening tools such as disc grinders or the wood lathe you should also wear a face shield.

Face Shields

ToolInfoBox Face Shields
Synonyms:	DE: Visiere, Gesichtsschutz
Type:	safety gear
Material:	shrapnel, sparks, dust, liquids
Used with:	wood lathe, disc grinders
Location:	wall above wood lathe; metal workshop
Access Requirements:	upon reading
Similar (More or Less):	goggles

Face shields protect a much larger area than goggles and are unlikely to let something dangerous come around them. However, it is a good idea to still wear goggles underneath for extra security and the times when you move the shield up (same as with welding helmets).

Ear Defenders

ToolInfoBox Ear Defenders
Synonyms:	acoustic earmuffs, hearing protection, hearing muffs, "Mickey Mouse"; DE: Ohrenschützer, Kapselgehörschutz
Type:	safety gear
Material:	sound waves
Location:	common room

Ear defenders protect your ears against noise (and, technically, also wet willies).

• explanation of rating system: (DE)
  • in short, SNR (single number rating) expresses the average noise reduction and the other values correspond to reduction of high, medium or low frequency sounds

Gloves

ToolInfoBox Gloves
Synonyms:	DE: Handschuhe
Type:	safety gear
Material:	splinters, chemicals

Common types are "work gloves" for mechanical protection (e.g. sharp edges, heat) and disposable latex gloves for liquid and adhesive handling.

Never wear gloves when operating a drill press or similar rotating tool!

Dust Masks

MaterialInfoBox Dust Masks
Synonyms:	DE: Staubmasken, Atemmasken
On Site?	some
Suggested Donation:	1.50 €
Location:	common room
Suggested Tools:	-

Depending on the type of work different kinds of dust/vapour protection is needed. Generally they are classified into P1-P3, where P1 protects against 80%, P2 94% and P3 99,95% of particles. When working in the workshop while dust is generated a P1 or P2 mask should be worn. There are one time use dust masks available, but it is recommended to use a proper half mask with the appropriate filter as these seal much better on the face.

Toxic vapours are filtered via active carbon.

Hooking up the shop vac to power tools whenever possible greatly reduces the need for these and keeps the room around you clean as well.

Examples of hazardous materials while sanding/cutting etc.:

• hardwood
• steel (especially stainless)
• composite materials (like carbon/glass fibre)
• various kinds of plastics
• silicon (Silizium) - that's why you don't actually use sand for "sandblasting"