The document outlines safety procedures for using various tools and equipment in a school lab setting. General safety rules include wearing proper protective equipment like eye protection and removing loose items. Students must obtain permission before using any equipment and report any issues or injuries. Specific equipment like band saws, drill presses, and sanders also have detailed safety procedures around their proper use, such as adjusting guards, applying even pressure, and keeping hands away from moving parts. Students are instructed to always follow safety rules carefully in the lab.

1. ESFDesign Labs
Safety Procedures

2. General Safety Procedures
• Always wear eye
protection in the lab. This
is a Virginia state law.
• Take care of loose
clothing: tuck in shirts,
roll up long sleeves, and
take off jackets.
• Remove loose jewelry.
• Tie back long hair.
• Obtain teacher permission
before using any
equipment.

3. General Safety Procedures
• Do not use equipment unless you
know how it works – ask your
teacher for help if you are not sure.
• If anything breaks or appears to be
working incorrectly tell your
teacher.
• All equipment must be turned off if
the teacher leaves the lab.
• Report all injuries to the teacher
immediately.
• Remember the ABC’s of safety:
Always Be Careful.

4. General Safety Procedures
• No playing around or running
in the lab.
• Give the equipment your full
attention. Concentrate, do not
talk and do not look away from
your work.
• Do not distract the person
operating the equipment.
• Select the proper equipment for
the job.
• Always check everything
yourself.

5. General Safety Procedures
• Make all adjustments to the equipment
safety guards before the equipment is
turned on.
• Always turn equipment off when you are
finished and be sure it has come to a
complete stop before you walk away.
• Observe the work zone; the work zone is
the area that has been marked on the
floor around each piece of equipment.
• Clean up after yourself and return all
material and equipment to their proper
place.

6. Band Saw Safety Procedures
• Follow all general safety
rules before operating the
band saw.
• Measure accurately and
mark your material where
it is to be cut.
• Adjust the blade guide ¼
inch above the material
being cut before turning
on the band saw.
Click for a
Larger View

7. Band Saw Safety Procedures
• Never have the material
you are cutting touch the
blade before you turn on
the band saw.
• Keep your hands outside
of the safety zone marked
on the table.
• Never place your hands
directly in front of the
blade or on the line to be
cut.
Safety
Zone

8. Band Saw Safety Procedures
• Using both hands, firmly and slowly push the material into
the blade.
• Avoid backing out of a cut.
• Do not clear scraps away from the saw blade when the saw
is running.
• Do not walk away from the band saw while the blade is still
moving.
• When cutting curves, relief cuts must be made first.
• Talk with your teacher before cutting large or irregular
shaped material.

9. Jig/Scroll Saw Safety Procedures
• Follow all general safety rules
before operating the jig/ scroll saw.
• Measure accurately and mark
material to be cut.
• Adjust and tighten the blade guide,
hold down clamp so it is resting
lightly on top of the material to be
cut.
• Turn motor by hand to insure the
blade is not broken or damaged. If
the blade does not appear right, tell
your teacher.
• Never have the material you are
cutting touch the blade before you
turn on the jig/scroll saw.
Click for a
Larger View

10. Jig/Scroll Saw Safety Procedures
• Keep your hands outside the safety zone marked on the
table.
• Using both hands, apply downward pressure and slowly
guide the material into the blade keeping fingers away
from the line you marked on the material.
• Do not clear scraps away from the saw blade when the saw
is running.
• Do not walk away from the jig/scroll saw while the blade
is still moving.
• Talk with your teacher before cutting large or irregular
shaped material.

11. Drill Press Safety Procedures
• Follow all general safety rules
before operating the drill press.
• Measure accurately and mark
the center of the hole to be
drilled into the material.
• Select the correct size drill bit.
• Hand tighten the drill bit in the
chuck and check for proper
alignment by spinning the
chuck by hand.
• Tighten the drill bit in the
chuck with the chuck key.
• Remove the chuck key and
return it to it s proper place.
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Larger View

12. Drill Press Safety Procedures
• Place material on the table of
the drill press. Adjust table to
correct height.
• Align center mark on the
material with center of the drill
bit.
• Hold material securely on the
table with your left hand, some
material my need to be
clamped to the table. Check
with your teacher.
Table
Lock

13. Drill Press Safety Procedures
• Turn power on and place your right
hand on the feed wheel and apply
slow, even pressure to the feed
wheel while drilling into the
material.
• If the material gets caught in the
drill bit and starts to spin- turn off
power and stand back- do not try to
stop the material with your hands.
Tell your teacher.
• Be careful when removing the drill
bit because the drill bit may be hot
form the friction between the
material and the drill bit.
Feed
Wheel

14. Belt/Disc Sander Safety Procedures
• Follow all general safety rules
before operating the belt disc
sander.
• Do not attempt to sand small
material.
• Keep hands and fingers clear of
sanding belt or sanding disc and
behind safely zone marked on
sanding tables.
• Do not have material touching the
sanding disk when you turn the
belt/disc sander on.
• Never sand painted or coated
material without teacher approval.
• 1/8 inch is the most you can sand
off your material.
Click for a
Larger View

15. Belt/Disc Sander Safety Procedures
• The table should be 1/16 inch away
from the sanding belt or sand disk, if
the table is not, tell your teacher
• Tell your teacher if the sanding belt or
sanding disk has become worn or
damaged
• When using the sanding disc, sand
only on the side of the table where the
sanding disc rotates downward
• Firmly hold material flat on the table
with both hands
• Firmly hold material against the stop
fence with both hands when the
sanding belt is horizontal
Stop Fence
Disc Sander
Rotation
Belt Sander
Rotation

16. Belt/Disc Sander Safety Procedures
• Keep material against
the sanding belt or
sanding disc
• Do not leave the
belt/disc sander until it
has come to a
complete stop

17. ESFDesign Labs
Safety Procedures
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