Monday, Let's be careful out there.

My guess

1. Table Saw

2. Chainsaw

3. Nail Gun

4. Band Saw

5. Miter Saw

6. Portable Circular Saw

7. Chisel

8. Drill Press

9. Jointer

10. Router

11. Belt-Disc Sander

12. Grinding Wheel

13. Xacto knife

14. Plainer

15. Lathe

Re: Monday, Let's be careful out there.

Dangerous as in severity of injury, or as in frequency of injury?

I am responding as in frequency of injury.

1 exacto knife

2 chisel

3 nail gun

4 circular saw

5 jointer

6 table saw

7 grinder wheel

8 router

9 chainsaw

10 planer

Good question

I'm thinking frequency because the list commentary states "...we have to remember that the number of accidents will be higher for a tool used by lots of people, and zero if nobody uses that tool."

Well here is my list

My list is based on past personal experience and that of friends and co workers

1. Xacto knife (Utility knife?)

2. Chisel

3. Drill Press

4. Grinding Wheel

5. Router

6. Belt-Disc Sander

7. Band Saw

8. Table Saw

9. Miter Saw

10. Nail Gun

11. Portable Circular Saw

12. Chainsaw

13. Lathe

14. Jointer

15. Plainer

So it's number of accidents

Which is different from how likely you are to have an accident from that machine, for a given number of hours of usage. And presumably, we are talking about accidents that at least resulted in a trip to the ER or doc-in-the-box.

Here's my guess, from most accidents to fewest.

Portable Circular Saw

Table Saw

Xacto knife

Drill Press

Chisel

Nail Gun

Miter Saw

Belt-Disc Sander

Grinding Wheel

Chainsaw

Now a different question in my mind is which I consider most dangerous, in the sense of most likely to cause an accident to me, given a certain amount of use, and weighted by the severity of the possible accident. There I would rank them differently:

Chainsaw

Table Saw

Grinding Wheel

Portable Circular Saw

Jointer

Lathe

Drill Press

Router

Nail Gun

Xacto knife

Interesting (an thought invoking!) question.

And still another angle

Danger comes not just from accidents, but from cumulative effects such as hearing loss and lung damage. Including those (and assuming lack of proper defensive measures, you would have to elevate router, planer, and any power sander up close to the chainsaw realm (along with finish sprayers, not on the original list).

Monday answer

Here�s the list as generated by Woodworking FAQ, Section 3, Power Tools.

1. Tablesaw 46%

2. Router 13%

3. Jointer 7%

4. Radial Arm Saw 6%

5. Bandsaw 5%

6. Drill Press 5%

7. Planer 5%

8. Nail Gun 4%

9. Belt Disc Sander 2%

10. Miter Saw 2%

11. Chainsaw 3%

12. Circular Saw 3%

a site identified as rec.ww generated the following

1. Table Saw or Radial Saw 41%

2. Router 18%

3. Jointer 6%

4. Nail Gun 6%

5. Chisel 6%

6. Xacto Knife/Utility Knife 6%

7. Japanese Saw 3%

8. Circular Saw 3%

9. Power Planer 3%

10. Grinding Wheel 3%

11. Drill 3%

12. Wood chipper 3%

The web states that Tool Crib also did a study. 55 Replies

1. You The next tool you have your hands on.

2. Table Saw 15

3. Shaper 13

4. Chainsaw 6

5. Router 6

6. Jointer 6

7. Band Saw 3

8. Chisel 2

9. Radial Arm Saw 2

No stars today because any order you choose is correct. This was a bad trivia because I cannot find the number of happenings that provided the percentages for the first two lists. And just as in our nation�s banking crisis, my error means that you suffer. No awards today. Still, it is apparent that our toys are not toys. We need to be observant and not only look at percentages of damage of a tool, but realize that even if you take care any tool in our arsenal can and will hurt you. I used to be down on OSHA (mostly I still am) but they sure have helped in identifying problems.

If anyone knows of a study (or wants to do a study) elsewhere about the real cost of damage caused by an accident using a particular woodworking tool, I�d like to know. In the mean time be careful out there and �read, understand, and follow the directions that come with�.� Watch out especially that table saw.