griphead

My story is of the accident that did not happen. And I believe it is quite telling. I work in an industry that is seemingly immune from OSHA, in fact, the only real experience I have had with them was when they were granting us waivers to use equipment in ways that it was decidedly not designed for.
My friend and I had been set the task of building a thirty foot long ramp, from lumber, that a hook and ladder truck could drive up in order for the driver to stay level with the camera for a shot in a movie. as my buddy was ripping a long plywood wedge shape, a gentleman in a suit and tie hurried up to him, and, mid cut, tapped him on the shoulder and started berating him for not wearing safety glasses. My pal was flabbergasted (and he was wearing special prescription safety glasses that were kind of stealth), but, as his direct supervisor, I had the distinct pleasure of explaining to Mr corporate safety officer
just how dangerous his own actions had been.
I have seen many posts regaling the need for more safety features, but I would like to point out that the most important thing is to know the limitations of the tool. A little Makita seven inch tablesaw is a great thing to have in your back pocket,but on a pair of sawhorses on a slope it is not the optimum tool for ripping a stack of one inch MDF into a pile of fascia substrates.
And I have cringed at every single posting below from people who have "discovered" or "just built" or are thinking that "maybe it would help" to have an outfeed table. For goodness sake!
You put yourself in danger when you are working with unsupported loads, be it crosscutting the center of a two by six (circular saws kick back too) or trying to hold a sheet of quarter inch luan down on to the blade when you are trying to rip eight feet without an outfeed table. it should be the first thing you build, hell, if you build it right, you won't need a bench in your shop until you are experienced enough to build your own.
Wood working has a long and shallow learning curve, but it is so satisfying. if you are not sure you need a tool, or if you are a little uncomfortable with it, wait. A good cabinet saw is a big investment, and it is something you will never use if you are making whale shaped coat racks for your grandkids' room. If you are inspired by FWW to new heights, work with tools you are comfortable with until you can no longer keep up with your own work load. Then, buy the heaviest, or at the very least, most stable stationary machines (stationary is what I am talking here) that you can, and find some one who knows how to use it and have them show you. Better yet, use theirs and see if you will be comfortable with it.
Most industrial accidents occur the first year, or after twenty. This means while people are learning a machine, or after they have become too comfortable with it. Most D.I.Y.ers will never pass that first year mark. a year of Sundays is still only a fifth of a work year, and who's training you, anyway?
Best of luck...