Drill Press Hazards

Tangling

• Whenever you use a drill press, you must tie back any long hair, avoid any loose clothing or jewelry and keep everything except what is being drilled away from the spinning arbor and bit. If hair or a piece of clothing are caught on the bit, injuries can result as they will either be torn out or quickly wrapped up on the spinning bit, sometimes drawing the body of the operator into the machine.

Spinning Wood or Metal

• Hand injury can result from a piece of wood or metal being caught rather than drilled by the bit as it enters the piece. When this happens, either the machine will jam or the object being drilled will begin spinning at the same speed as the drill bit. This can easily result in broken or cut fingers, depending on the size, weight, and sharpness of the piece of wood or metal.

Drilled Fingers

• Drill press work sometimes involves repetitive and boring work when many identical holes need to be drilled. If you allow your attention to wander, you may inadvertently leave your finger in the path of the drill bit as you lower the arbor. The result will be a neatly drilled hole in your finger. Always remain aware of the location of both your hands when using a drill press.

Eye Injury

• Bits of wood or metal may fly off of the piece being drilled, particularly when the drill bit is set at a high rate of rotation. Always wear eye protection when using a drill press. Particularly in the case of machining, which uses faster drill bits and deals with metal, a tiny shard that flies off and hits you in the eye can easily cut through your retina and blind you permanently in that eye.