[TheForge] Working alone

[Catherine Jo Morgan]

I did hurt myself once when my Makita 4" grinder kicked back. It had a
fairly flat knotted wirebrush mounted on it with no safety guard, and
tore up my left knuckle quite a bit. Later a friend who's a nurse said I
should have gone to the emergency room to get it stitched up, to avoid
scar tissue. I was lucky tho and in time it healed fine with full
flexibility.

Agree that woodworking shops are more dangerous than ours. A woodworker
friend lost concentration for a second and ran her knuckle into the
bandsaw blade. That WAS a trip to the emergency room plus plastic
surgeon. Luckily we had the two workshops on an intercom so she could
call me for help right away.

When I REALLY got hurt - bad fractures - it was when I slipped in the
kitchen.

After that fall I wouldn't go anywhere for a long time without a cell
phone strapped on me somewhere. Now I've relaxed more. I do think it's
important to have a phone handy in the workshop, preferably with 911
already on the speed dial. If it's possible to arrange an intercom or
radio system with one or more other workshops where people work alone,
this is ideal. (If you're not already in yelling distance.) Those loud
alarms might work too, the kind where you pull the safety out and a
siren goes off - as long as there's someone within hearing distance.

The worst danger is going into shock so fast that you lose any idea of
calling for help. I read in Fine Woodworking years ago that this
happened to a woodcarver at a conference. He cut himself really badly
and was just staring at it numbly, in a daze, when someone rushed over
and helped him. Till I read that story, I hadn't realized this could
happen.

After lunch and late afternoon are special times to be careful. Most
people have a slump by then. Breaks help a lot, plus not eating too much
sugar or alcohol.

Not feeling safe is a psychological thing. There could be some belief
triggering it - unrelated (and often irrational) guilt, or a sense of
not deserving such a great kind of work with such wonderful tools. Only
the person can figure this out. Sometimes a brief ritual can make all
the difference - something like envisioning a protective shield around
the forge. Prayer works for many people. If that doesn't help - maybe
arranging for a friend to call to check on you regularly would help.
Just keep playing around with ideas till you find a way to feel safe.

Catherine Jo Morgan
Morgan Sculpture: iron & mixed media vessels
Artist Journal Online - Hand Forged Vessels:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0120691/ 706-754-3812 mailto:cjmorgan@hemc.net