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Safety: Removing Watches in the Shop

3dpforge

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Location
Southeast, USA
I have been in a couple of shops. Some require the removal of all jewelery others only require it for some types of jewelery. While poking around facebook, I saw a photo where a friend was wearing a watch while running a mill. I'm curious what everyone's take is on watches. If they don't hang loosely, are they a necessity to remove? I personally always remove mine but I wanted a second opinion. If anyone has any injury stories or OSHA reports that they can site as examples please post them. I much rather explain to people why they shouldn't be doing something with examples rather than just stating arbitrary rules.
 
I wear my Rolex Submariner every day, the only time I had any problem was while working on a BMW 2002. I was reaching under the dual sidedraft Weber carbs and shorted the battery cable on the starter to ground with the watch. Melted the shit out of the band and I got a 3rd degree burn on my wrist.
 
Much like gloves in the shop, it's all about understand what is risky.

Running an engine lathe, or drill press should require removal. The same with some maintenance activities.

But, for most tasks, the risk is minimal. Running a CNC or welding. Even the Bridgeport seems pretty safe.

Most times I don't wear one just because it gets beat to hell and gets dirty.
 
After having the same end results as moonlight when working on a semi I stopped wearing metal watches when working with any tools. However I wear a plastic watch all the time now, I have broken many but they have always come apart at the pin.
 
Why would anyone wear a watch? The clock is on the wall, cell phone, etc. The local Hand Surgeons here (Klienert & Kutz) are the best in the country, do not give them work....
 
If you don't remove it, someday one of your machines will. It's like pilots of retractable gear aircraft. Have you done your wheels up landing yet? The first watch I bought got devoured by a lathe, never wore one in the shop after that.
 
Haven't worn a watch since I got a cell phone (it is always in my pocket) before that it went in that small middle top drawer of the Kennedy tool box before I started working and I put it on after I was done for the day. In fact there still is a non running watch in that tool box drawer, been there since 1996 or so, last time I wore a watch.
 
No watches, no jewelry, including wedding rings, no long hair not in a hair net including beards, no loose clothing, such as open shirts and safety glasses. We want you to leave at the end of the day with what you started with.

Tom
 
Wedding rings.
My wife's relative was jumping off a some sort of machinery and his ring got caught on a screw that was sticking out just a quarter if an inch. I noticed his finger was missing the first time I shaked his hand.

Same with watches sleeves and gloves. I often see Maintainence people working on lathe disregarding all the lathe specific safety rules IIncluding leaving chuck keys in chucks etc.

Got to be always careful. I wear gloves a lot cuz I hate slithers in my hands, but I don't need any more risk factors than that.
 
I'd leave it up to the machinist.

A lot of times I wear tight long sleeves, tight watch and nitrile gloves. I've never even had the slightest close call or problem because I know the danger is there and I'm always mindful about it. If there is a situation where I don't think I could be safe enough, I remove anything that can get caught.

In some machine shops, I could easily see it being too dangerous to wear anything that can get caught. For what I do, I'm fine.
 
One could be like the Farmer (The last bastion of independent the mind) and ignore all of the usual safety rules, and die young under a tractor without ROPS or in a silo from asphyxiation...
 
I'd leave it up to the machinist.

A lot of times I wear tight long sleeves, tight watch and nitrile gloves. I've never even had the slightest close call or problem because I know the danger is there and I'm always mindful about it. If there is a situation where I don't think I could be safe enough, I remove anything that can get caught.

In some machine shops, I could easily see it being too dangerous to wear anything that can get caught. For what I do, I'm fine.


In the old days that might work but not any more. It leaves too much to the discretion of a bunch of people who might or might not be using their brains on any given day. You'd be left with what Harvard Law calls the Fuck Dude defense.

Judge: Why did this employee get his long freaky hair and Rolex wristwatch caught in the 40" lathe until he was distributed evenly across the shop floor?

Employer: Well, fuck dude, that's how he wanted to roll....

You can see the difficulty this would pose in most wrongful death claims.
 
If the watch is tight and doesn't move around I could see someone getting away with it but... That one time it gets hit or snagged and who knows? Depending on the size of the machine, the work that's in it and the RPM it could just scratch your watch or it could pull you into the machine and kill you! Not worth the risk IMO. Awareness and faithful adherence to strict safety rules will minimize the risk of accidents but even then SH! I try to always error on the side of safety.
 
What's a watch?

Oh, that thing I used to wear on my wrist before I got a cell. Kidding aside, I used to always take it off no matter what. Safety/keep it from getting mucked up.
 
as mentioned before, why in the fuck does anyone even wear a watch anymore? i do understand it can be a sort of fashion statement for some with nicer ones i guess.
a shrink buddy of mine once brought up, when i used to wear one, how it can be a bit of an unhealthy crutch for some as they subconsciously constantly look at them as if they have somewhere to be, even when they don't have anywhere to be. same bullshit as constantly checking your cell phone.
put a clock on the shop wall somewhere and a cell phone in your pocket when your out...done

i will say that rings seem way more dangerous..a few years back a good friend got his ring finger pretty much ripped off skateboarding when his wedding ring caught a sheet metal seam on a big fall, lucky he had good insurance but it was a year of recovery and a very gnarly sight to behold.
 
Actually, I can't think of a single good reason a person would want to wear a wedding ring. It's one thing to be married, it's another thing to flash it around for all to see.
 
Anyone ever watch some idiot try to quickly dislodge a hot chip caught under his watch band? Usually once is enough to educate him. I'm a firm believer in no rings, watches, long sleeves (even in cold weather) or other loose clothing. I've seen too many injuries and close calls to count.

JH
 








 
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