Stories From The Vault

 "Push Stick Panic and the Unfortunate Target"

Author: Anonymous Submission

My students and I were out in the shop reviewing table saw safety. I wanted to give them one more demonstration on using push sticks. I grabbed a 1" x 4" about 2.5 feet long and was demonstrating the use of push sticks and what could potentially happen if you don't use them correctly. I was also showing them how to stand to the side of the saw so if there was a kickback, it wouldn't hit them. As I was demonstrating this procedure, the push stick slipped off the board I was cutting just as I had finished my cut. The 2-inch wide piece that I had just cut, kicked back and flew approximately 15 feet behind me. Before I could turn around, I heard the piece hit something. The next thing I hear is a shriek and groan. As I turn around, I see a senior (my TA) standing there holding his crotch. He had just gotten a drink of water and turned towards me, the group of freshmen, and the table saw. Bad timing!! I was in a panic as this type of situation had never happened before. I had never had an accident like this. I was sure I was getting sued and fired. I immediately went to the student and asked if he was okay, he said "no" in an out-of-wind kind of way. I sat him down and told the freshman to go to the classroom. Once he got his air back, I told him to go to the bathroom and check and see if he was bleeding anywhere. He reported that he wasn't bleeding and that he would be ok. I told him that I would call my wife (EMT) down to look at it and he assured me he was going to be ok. I went to the classroom and asked one of the freshman boys to go be with him while I called the Principal. The Principal came down and checked on him as well. I filled out the school accident report, called his parents and explained the situation, and waited for the "call". After school, the Principal came down and asked me to follow all the steps that I had gone through and to re-enact the situation. He then had a student re-enact the situation without my presence and everything turned out just fine. Accidents happen in the shop all the time. The best advice I have is to follow safety procedures while teaching and require students to follow them exactly. If you do that, everything should be okay. It's not a matter of if there is an accident, it is when will it take place. The student that was hit with the board was soar for a couple of days but was fine.