By Laurie Oncale

When it comes to detecting significant fire and safety risks at a woodworking business, I don’t have to have X-ray vision. I can tell a lot about a company’s culture of safety quickly by doing one thing: Looking up at the ceiling.

If I see sawdust covering elevated surfaces, it’s a sign that I have some work to do.

As a business development representative for Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company (PLM), I enjoy meeting with business owners, touring their shops, and giving them tips to keep their companies—and their workers—safe. Together with our loss control experts, we provide a second set of eyes, spotting potential trouble spots and offering potential fixes. 

Here's a little insight into what our team looks for when we do a site visit.

A top-to-bottom inspection
Let’s start at the top. When our team sees sawdust on elevated surfaces, it’s a red flag. Here’s why. Sawdust, of course, is highly flammable. If a spark were to come from any source and sit in a surrounding pile of sawdust, it would smolder and create an explosion.

That explosion could create a type of combustion called deflagration, where each explosion shakes the building, causes more dust to fall from the ceiling, and sparks more explosions. Next thing you know, an entire woodshop is up in smoke. Some sources of sparks are an ill-maintenanced machine, uncontrolled cigarette smoking within the building, or improper hot work (welding, cutting, soldering, etc.).  

We don’t want to see that happen. That’s why we also look at the condition of a shop’s walls. If they’re covered in sawdust or cobwebs, it’s a good bet that a business owner needs to shore up their housekeeping regimen.

After we look at the structure of the business, it’s time to evaluate the shop’s machines. We look to see whether machines are plugged into the wall (preferred) or into an extension cord and to make sure there’s no sawdust buildup around the motors. Then we look behind and underneath the machines to make sure those areas are clear of sawdust, scrap wood, and other debris. We also ask about machinery maintenance and proper upkeep – making sure the machines are well-oiled and fixed promptly. 

Explore the facility
We also explore the facility to help mitigate any risks of electrical fires. That means we look at all outlets to be sure they’re free from sawdust. We inspect all extension cords to see whether they’re frayed or worn. We also check electrical panels to ensure all breakers are clean and clear of sawdust and that all voids in a breaker box are filled in with blanks. Additionally, we’ll check fire extinguishers to see if they’re updated, charged, and inspected.

Air filtration and dust collection systems are another area of focus. It’s ideal for air compressors to be located outside of the building.

If the business does any finishing work, we look for the presence of a spray booth. Then, we examine the booth to ensure that it’s grounded, properly ventilated, and has automatic fire extinguishing systems. We’ll also search for some common safety risks, such as a stray microwave oven located in the middle of the shop floor, or pallets stacked up alongside the outer walls of a building.

Finally, we do some people-watching. We look to see whether workers are following standard safety practices and wearing personal protective equipment. 

Addressing safety through collaboration
As we tour a shop, we’ll often walk with the shop owner and give them in-the-moment advice that they can use to mitigate risks. If we find any area of concern, we will compile a list of recommendations and send it to the shop owner. Everything in that written document is something we talked about on our visit.

Generally, insureds will have roughly 60 days to implement our recommendations. In most cases, all a shop owner needs to do is send us a picture of a mitigated risk as proof of remediation. 

Reducing risks between visits
While we make site visits annually, shop owners should be ever-vigilant regarding risk mitigation. Three best practices include:

• Shore up your housekeeping. Sweep up your stations every day for 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure your motors are free and clear from sawdust. On Fridays (or on the last day of your workweek) clean behind your machines and remove any wood waste inside the building. Also, clean out your dust cyclones and other dust collectors weekly.
• Check those cords. Do a monthly roundup of any extension cords. Check for signs of fraying or exposed wiring, and replace any cords that exhibit signs of wear and tear.
• Host regular safety meetings. We sometimes hear business owners say, “My team has been working here for 20 years; they know how to be safe.” But even veteran woodworking employees can learn new safety tips. That’s why it’s important to host monthly safety meetings. It’s a visible sign that your shop is one with a strong culture of safety.
• Check your breakrooms. We have recently had some large losses from old appliances, such as refrigerators, old microwaves, and even old/dirty coffee pots. 

You don’t know what you don’t know
Business owners get pulled in many different directions every single day. That means they can’t always stay current on the latest safety and risk mitigation tips. But by partnering with their insurer and taking their recommendations, business owners can see the unseen and protect their businesses from a serious loss.

Laurie Oncale is a business development representative at Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company (PLM). PLM is a nationally recognized property and casualty insurance carrier serving the lumber, woodworking, and building materials industries. Laurie can be reached at [email protected].