Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Workshop Policies and Procedures

[Pat Looney-Burman (burloon]

At La Querencia, aka Fresno Cohousing we have a shop that is mostly equipped 
for woodworking:  table saw, planer, jointer, router table, bandsaw and drill 
press. To address safety, we have taken two measures.  All the more “dangerous 
“ power tools (table saw, planer, jointer, and bandsaw) run on a 220v dedicated 
circuit which can only be activated with a key operated switch. Only those 
members who have been checked out for safe operation of these machines are 
given a key to that switch. This allows less skilled residents to use the 
workshop without having access to the “dangerous “ equipment. 

The table saw is also a safety conscious item; it is a SawStop brand. That’s 
have a sensor built in that, when it detects contact between the blade and 
human flesh instantly stops the blade preventing serious injury. It is 
amazingly effective. I personally have had a couple of close calls which 
probably would have taken off a finger have only resulted in a minor scratch. 
Google “sawstop” and see it in action. 

George Burman 
La Querencia Cohousing 

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