So you’ve got your workshop all set up (just kidding, you’ll never be finished) and you’re about to start performing timber surgery. But before you start sticking irreplaceable appendages close to rapidly spinning steel, there are a few items you should stock in addition to an excellent selection of power tools.
After all, even the most seasoned carpenters are prone to losing fingers at short notice. It’s best to remain paranoid, prepared, and preventative when there’s any sort of blade involved. The same goes for drills, grinders, screwdrivers, hammers… you get the idea. Even a basic workshop is a potential trip to the emergency room if you’re not paying attention. Here’s what you need to minimise the effects when (not if) something goes wrong.
Milescraft Grabber Pro multi-purpose push block
You don’t have to spend loads on a push block. You can even make them, if you’re handy enough. But what you shouldn’t do is attempt to operate without one. Whether you’re stuffing planks through a table saw or bandsaw or guiding them over a router bit, you want to keep your fingers as far away from the spinning bits as possible. This push block setup is pricier than a generic unit but its modular nature and multiple directions of pressure means you’ll a) keep your fingers safe and b) won’t catch a piece of your project in the chest if there’s any kickback from the tool.
There are several configurations to let it suit various tools, allowing for very thin slices in relative safety. The folks who make this one probably won’t accept responsibility for anything that happens to the hand that isn’t pushing but your gripping hand should be safe… unless you let go of the push block at the wrong time. Then all bets are off.
Buy it here | R1,000
Also add these
Tourniquet First Aid Kit
Almost nobody sets out to try and slice their hand in half (there’s always some weirdos) but it does happen. Prepare for the worst with this tourniquet kit, intended for outdoors types but perfectly serviceable in a workshop. The velcro strap expands wide enough to fit a human thigh but unless you’re using your bandsaw with your feet, you won’t need the feature. A notation area for the time of amputation and a twist stick for extra pressure should get you to the hospital with minimal blood loss. This is one piece of safety gear you’ll hope you never have to use but if you need it…
Buy it here | R145
Regulation 7 First Aid Kit
Turns out, there’s a government standard kit for workshops and even if you skip over the tourniquet, you should definitely have one of these on hand. You’re far more likely to have to deal with splinters, slices, cuts, and blunt-force injuries than a missing limb anyway. The kit includes several sorts of bandages, disinfectants, the items you’ll need to cope with burns (ever set a piece of wood on fire with a drill?), as well as more prosaic bits like plasters. This particular kit also comes with a wall-mountable metal box, letting you keep it handy without taking up valuable bench or drawer space. Just keep it topped up.
Buy it here | R615
Tork Craft Safety Glasses
Nobody should ever learn the hard way that it’s impossible to put a plaster on an eyeball. Eye protection is a must in any workshop. Even something as insignificant as sawdust can send you to the emergency room and if you happen to get a curled metal shaving in your eye (or, saw, a shard of a drill bit) you’ll probably never want to go near a drill ever again.
These safety glasses are advertised as being able to prevent 90% of all eye-related accidents. The lightweight polycarbonate lenses intend to follow through on that claim and you’ll have to have something slip up under them (or spear directly through) to wind up whipping out your medical aid details for a chuckling paramedic.
Glasses wearers should check out something a touch more durable like this R100 set of goggles. Glasses don’t count as protective wear, since they can shatter and make the accident exponentially worse.
Buy it here | R180
Or use these
Clear Full Face Safety Shield
Any time you’re in an area with loads of airborne particles, you want to protect your face. A safety shield protects more than just your eyes, sparing your nostrils and even mouth from contact with sawdust, splinters, or metal shavings. They’re also handy for general-purpose work with paint. A shield won’t protect from inhalation, it’ll just minimise it. For that, you should check out our next item.
Buy it here | R120
Grange Double Half Face Mask
You run the risk of looking like a cybergoth (that’s a real thing) while wearing one of these but you should never scoff at this safety gear. If you’re operating power tools without any extraction systems, a half-face mask is essential. Even something as simple as sweeping up a workshop floor can cause respiratory issues. One of these will prevent that unpleasantness.
Buy it here | R137
Burnett Work Apron
If you’ve ever seen an older woodworker in their shop, you’ll note that they’re always wearing an apron. Ask yourself if maybe they’re on to something. Or you could ask Cape Town-based wooden surfboard shaper Pat Burnett the same question. Since we’re featuring his work apron here, he’ll probably have an answer for you. Protection, for both your clothing and you, is the name of the game but spacious pockets are also handy.
There are various options when it comes to workshop aprons but you’re mostly looking for durability and pockets. Lots of pockets. Pencils, squares, a small block plane, a handful of nails, and you’ve got yourself a party. In terms of material, this one is made from hemp but there are cotton (comfortable), waxed canvas (durable), and leather (extremely protective, pricey, and high-maintenance) to consider when it comes to purchasing your own. But if you’ve ever seen the amount of shavings that fly around a surfboard shaper’s workshop, you’ll know that this item will keep your washing machine very happy indeed.
Buy it here | R650
Smith & Wesson M&P Alpha Electronic Ear Muff
Our pick for the best ear protection in your workshop isn’t actually marketed at folks using power tools. These ear muffs are designed for the shooting range but have a couple of slick features that make them a brilliant choice for anywhere you’ll encounter noise.
For starters, they’re packing internal microphones used for two purposes. Quieter sounds, like people talking in the background, are amplified while louder ones, like a gunshot or a circular saw winding up, are suppressed. This gives you ambient awareness that isn’t possible with the old-fashioned forms of ear protection and you don’t have to play the on-again off-again game when someone is trying to talk to you while you’re working.
Finally, there’s an audio input in case you’d like to route music (via wires, sadly) directly inside these cans. If the Smith and Wesson version is a little too pricey, the dreaded Temu has a very similar set for… well, not very much money.
Buy it here | R1,500
Or try these
Sennheiser SoundProtex earplugs
Sennheiser’s SoundProtex earbuds aren’t for listening to music. Well, they are but they aren’t. Designed for live events, these in-ear add-ons include two audio filters as well as on-board sound enhancement. This lets you attend concerts without blowing out your eardrums while augmenting what you’re hearing. The mid-block filter can be swapped out with a full-block version that mutes… everything. These leave it up to you to choose the level of noise suppression you want in your workshop while also leaving space for more social (but aurally safe) activity.
Buy it here | R980
Pioneer Optimum ear muffs
If you’re fine with the low-tech solution (more likely you’re fine with the price), then some bog-standard ear muffs are the way forward. These are durable enough, damp down the screaming whine of high-speed electric motors and knots being sawn in half, and offer an excellent price-to-value ratio if you’re just trying to keep your hearing safe. Of course, you could also opt for a super-cheap set of earplugs, if you’re only an occasional handyman (a set starts at about eight bucks) but regular workers should spend more on this set of safety gear.
Buy it here | R200
Rebel Enduro-Max safety shoes
This set of safety gear might be the last on our list but that doesn’t mean they should be last on your mind. Yes, you can probably get away with some decent hiking or outdoor footwear when spending time in a workshop but when you need a steel toe-cap, you really need it. This set of safety shoes from Rebel features a steel toe-cap rated at up to 200 joules. That’s enough to stave off the crushing force from most things dropped from about waist height, unless you’re attempting to lug an anvil off a stand on your own. Don’t do that.
They’re also rated for various environmental hazards like fuel and oil, can withstand heat up to 300° C, and add slip-resistance into the bargain. That latter point is true of surfaces like ceramic tiles covered in soap but we would still exercise caution when moving fast over wet road paint. For most other uses, like a flooded concrete-floored workshop, you’ll probably maintain your grip.
Buy it here | R1,350
