A freelance tutor in Essex, Connecticut, John Becker has taught courses and developed curricula with multiple middle schools and high schools. Outside of the professional arena, John Becker is an avid woodworker.

Although woodworking can be an incredibly rewarding hobby, it can be dangerous if it isn’t undertaken with great care. Industry authorities such as the DIY craft/hobby website The Spruce Crafts and the woodworking experts at woodworkweb.com have presented a few safety tips that may not be immediately obvious to those who work in wood.

While wearing appropriate safety equipment such as eye and ear protection may now be considered common sense, woodworkers may neglect to ensure that tools such as blades and bits are properly sharp. Dull tools will not only perform poorly and yield imprecise results, but they present a serious safety risk due to an increased tendency to bind or grab materials, sometimes causing kick back.

Other tips include ensuring that blades have stopped completely before reaching out to remove cut-off waste. Wise woodworkers will also use a single extension cord to power all tools and devices – a practice that makes it far easier to cut power to tools when changing blades, bits, or performing similar operations.