Health and Safety in the Craft Workshop

Staying safe at the bench

A craft workshop is full of useful things that can also cause harm: sharp hand tools, powered machines, dust from sanding, fumes from adhesives, hot kilns and irons, and materials that can be toxic. Working safely is a skill in its own right, and a good maker treats it as part of the craft rather than a chore. A hazard is anything that could cause harm, and a risk is the chance that a hazard actually harms someone and how serious it would be. Safety comes from spotting hazards, using tools and machines the right way, controlling dust and fumes, handling materials with care, wearing the right protective equipment, and keeping the workshop tidy. This module covers all of these, so you can work confidently and keep yourself and others safe.

Workshop safety words

Learn these terms before the hazards are matched to their controls. They name the dangers and the ways they are managed.

Match each workshop hazard to a safe practice

Hand tools against powered machines

The two main groups of workshop equipment carry different dangers, so they are used safely in different ways.

Which is the safe way to work?

You are cutting a material with a sharp craft knife. Which is the safe way to work?

• Cut away from your body on a cutting mat
• Cut towards your hand to guide the blade
• Use a blunt blade so it cannot cut you
• Work as fast as possible to finish

A tidy workshop is a safe workshop

Many workshop accidents have nothing to do with using a tool: they come from a cluttered bench, offcuts on the floor, a blade left under a rag, or a spill nobody wiped. Good housekeeping removes these hidden dangers before they can catch anyone. Keep the bench clear, put each tool back after use, sweep up dust and offcuts, wipe spills at once, and keep the walkways clear so nobody trips. It is worth a habit: take a moment to clear the space before you start and before you leave. A clean, ordered workshop is not just tidier to look at, it is measurably safer to work in, and it makes every other safe practice easier to follow.

Pick the safe workshop habits

Select every habit that helps keep a craft workshop safe.

• Tie back long hair near machines
• Keep tools sharp and in good condition
• Clear up offcuts and dust
• Leave sharp tools loose on the bench edge
• Wear loose sleeves near a moving machine

Order the safe use of a bench machine

Put the steps of using a powered bench machine safely in order.

• Check the machine and its guard are in good order
• Tie back hair and remove loose clothing and jewellery
• Put on the correct protective equipment
• Switch on and use the machine as you were trained
• Switch off and clean the area when finished

Complete the workshop safety facts

Anything that could cause harm is a _____. Safety gear worn by the maker is _____. Moving fresh air through the space to clear dust and fumes is _____. Keeping the workshop tidy and clean is good _____.

Tap the two safe practices

Tap the TWO practices that keep a workshop safe.

• cut away from your body
• tie back long hair near a machine
• use a machine with the guard removed
• leave a hot iron switched on and unattended

A chef and a sharp knife

Watch a good chef. The knife is kept keen, the fingers are tucked back out of the way, and the board is wiped clean between tasks. It looks relaxed, but every part of it is a habit that stops an accident before it starts. Oddly, a keen blade is safer than a dull one, because a dull blade slips when you force it. A craft maker works in just the same way: tools kept in good order, hands kept clear of the cutting line, and the bench kept clear of clutter, so the work flows and nobody gets hurt. Skill and safety are not opposites. The safe way to do a job is usually the way that also does it well.

The workshop-safety run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the best answer.

Fix each workshop risk

Read each situation and choose the safest action.

• A maker is sanding a material and the air fills with fine dust. What is the best action?
• A hot iron has been left switched on at the bench with nobody using it. What should happen?
• A glaze is labelled as containing a harmful substance. How should it be used?

Build a workshop-safety sentence

Choose the word for each gap to complete one point about workshop safety.

Explain how a craft workshop is kept safe

A friend joining a craft class thinks the workshop looks dangerous and asks how people stay safe. Using what you have learned, explain how a craft workshop is kept safe.

• Explain the difference between a hazard and a risk in a workshop
• Explain how hand tools and powered machines are used safely
• Explain how dust, fumes and harmful materials are controlled
• Explain the role of protective equipment
• Explain why good housekeeping matters