Tony - Memphis
That's something that I picked up along the way - always ask yourself where your hand/fingers are going to go when the tool spits the wood out away from you. I ask myself that before every cut.

It amazes me how many people don't even follow the basics like eye/lung/ear protection - those are pretty obvious. It surprise me how many people go out and buy a tool and assume they know how to use it even thought they have no experience. I took Woodworking 101 and 102 at a continuing ed. program here in town (thank you Mr. Ron Day!). Safety was a big part of the class as was how to use each tool. Great class. Even after all that, one of my fellow students failed to follow through on a TS rip and the board was slung back at him - clipped his arm - kept going at least twenty feet and took ou the side of a dresser a woodworking 103 student was building. The guy wasn't hurt bad (there was blood) and it was a good lesson to all of us. He didn't come back. I remember the nod of approval after I completed a rip once time and started to reach for the piece, but then stopped myself and waited for the blade to stop. I looked up and he was watching - that's when I got the nod.

Anyway, be safe folks! I try my darndest.

Tony