The Gift of LIght

[junquecol]

This morning at 5:30 AM the power went off. Instantly my emergency light came on. Now think for a minute-You are in your shop when the power goes off. Gropping in the dark, you feel your hand touch the blade of your saw, and at that very instant, the power comes on. Not a pleasant thought is it! With emergency lights costing less than $40.00, why not give yourself the gift of light? MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

 

[McRabbet]

It's really amazing how obvious this should be to all of us :eusa_doh: -- Before I retired, I was responsible for oversight of the design and construction of a very large research facility in RTP and we insisted that every lab space have emergency lighting for precisely the same reasons (can you imagine having a beaker full of acid in your hands when the power went off?). I'm going to buy a couple of "Frog Eyes" (as they are called) at Lowes to put in my shop -- they are cheap and they could make a real difference in any emergency.

I can also imagine being in the middle of a complex glue-up when the lights went off; at least you could finish!

 

[cskipper]

I would never have thought about being in the shop during a power failure. I think I'll be looking for some back up lighting myself. Thanks for the post.

 

[DaveO]

Are lights like that battery operated? Do they keep themselves charged off normal power. That does sound like a smart, no, make that BRILLIANT idea. Something that I have never thought of or about. Dave

 

[PrplHrtJarHead]

duh...guess I'll be adding that to the cost of my shop as it comes together.

 

[McRabbet]

Are lights like that battery operated? Do they keep themselves charged off normal power. That does sound like a smart, no, make that BRILLIANT idea. Something that I have never thought of or about. Dave

Yes -- NFPA requires that emergency lighting come on immediately upon a power loss -- that type is used in stairwells or restaurants so they come on immediately :idea: . Most have lead-acid "gel cells" in them that are kept charged and they switch on when power drops. (FYI - Standby power is usually supported by a generator source :5rockroll and that means an 8-12 second delay as the generator comes up after a power loss. Computer backup power :XXcompute is almost always by battery backup and it is available instantly).

 

[junquecol]

Check HF as they often have one on sale for less than $20.00. Get one for both shop and house. Remember if the power is off in the shop, most likely it is off in the whole neighbor hood- it's dark outside! Once emergency light is on , don't forget to turn off tools that don't have a magnetic switch. It is fun to come back several hours later and see you saw merrily spinning away. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[J. Fred Muggs]

Emergencey lighting is a great safety idea. I have it my shop. But, let's go one step further.

Suppose you're drilling a 2" hole into a piece of 8/4 oak 24" long on your drill press when the power dies. That forstner bit bites into the wood as it stops almost instantly. You release the piece of wood and the quill handle to start for the door. Before you can take a step the power comes back on and the piece of oak is spinning into your side like a weed eater. Maybe you escape witha couple of cracked ribs, if you're lucky.

Remember that the best safety device is located right between your very own ears. Use it. Think through, ahead of time, exactly what to do if working at any tool in your shop when the power goes off. Then act accordingly when and if it does.

It's not a bad idea to survey all the power tools you own to determine which ones will automatically restart when the power comes back on. For me, I consider the drill press scenario above to be one of the most potentially dangerous. For those tools that will restart automatically, you can buy an in-line device in a short extension cord that will trip on power loss and requires a manual reset before restarting. I found them at Home Depot for about $25. I have one on my drill press and several other tools. Much cheaper than emergengy room trips.

Be safe at all costs!!

 

[DavidF]

How come magnetic switches are not compulsary? in the UK it's been illegal for some years to sell stationary equipment without one

 

[Steve D]

Good subject to cover but we're still short in a couple of other areas. Hopefully, everyone also has a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit it their shop too. Not to be overly dramatic but the first aid kit should contain something that can be fashioned into a tourniquet. I work in the shop all the time when I'm home alone. There aint nobody gonna help me if I can't fend for myself and dial 911.

 

[DaveO]

It may be a stupid understated point, but D L brought up something....a phone. Many people have a shop separate from their homes and don't go through the expense to have a hardwired phone line installed. Worse case senario, power goes out , you're hurt and the cordless phone doesn't work:dontknow: If anything make sure there is a phone easily accessible cordless or not. Dave

 

[Monty]

OK, this thread is starting to get a little creepy!!! So far, I seem to be batting a big fat "0" on shop safety! 8-O

Now excuse me, I'm gonna go play in traffic for a while... :drunken_s

 

[junquecol]

Yeah-Go play in the street, it will probably be safer than being in YOUR SHOP! You can't improve the safety in the street, but you can inprove the safety in your shop. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[b4man]

...and some of you guys were horrified that I posted "gone to heaven with all my fingers"!
I think the emergency light idea is a good one however, for most of us with converted garages I suggest my personal emergency light. It's a flash light that plugs in to a recpt. and when power is interrupted it comes on or if I need it as a flash light I unplug it and voila, light. I also have a fire extinguisher and now that I'm thinking about it I'll chk to be sure it hasn't expired. Do you think a bungee cord would sufice as a tourniquet?

Barbara

 

[Steve D]

Yes, bungees work. Creepy or not, most people never think "it" could happen to them. One thing I learned as a firefighter and in other forms of survival training is that your ability to remain calm in an emergency and to have a plan is essential. Nobody wants to think about these things but serious accidents happen. I have a scar on the tip of one finger from a stupid accident in shop class in high school. I was cutting up sanding blocks on a band saw because there were only a few minutes left in class. I had stacked the offcuts on the table to the left of the blade and actually reached into the return path of the blade when setting down one of the offcuts. Safety isn't something to be taken lightly, it only takes an instant and one stupid move.

 

[chris99z71]

And just as a public service message-
If you have an extinguisher in your shop, more than likely it's an ABC that useds a dry chemical powder. Just because it's within the servicing date and still reads full pressure doesn't mean it'll work. I'd highly recommend for anyone with an ABC to turn it upside down and tap on the bottome a few times with a rubber mallet atleast once a month. Otherwise that powder can become a solid cake after time. Then you go to use it and - nada..

As far as the phone issue...lets not underestimate the power of a cell phone. I know mine is always in my pocket since I don't have a land line. Of course this depends on where you live...

 

[TimRice]

With a cell phone or a any other shop phone, I recommend that you have 911 or emergency services programmed into one of the Speed Dial numbers. If you've got one hand holding a cord tight around the other arm, how ya gonna dial the number?

 

[Monty]

OK, that does it! 8-O I'm gettin' me one of THESE!!!! ;-)

​

 

[Steve D]

Now you will be safe, unless of course you wear it around your neck and it gets sucked into your DC causing you to hit your head on a tool knocking you unconsious while spilling flamable liquid into your shop heater, igniting the pile of oily rags next to your out of date fire extinguisher.

 

[cskipper]

There was a short article about magnetic switches in the WorkBench magazine we got in the mail today. Interesting timing.

DH has a word of caution about installing these - be sure they are installed correctly or you will have problems you did not anticipate.