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1. Safety glasses: These prevent dust, debris, wood shavings, shards from fiberglass, etc from getting into the eyes. Safety glasses are one of the most basic pieces of safety equipment that must be used when working with power tools. 2. Protection for the ears: Power tools can generate a lot of noise, which may sound louder in the cloistered environment of a workshop; in order to minimize damage to the ears, it is advisable to wear earplugs. 3. Knowing the right tools for the job: It is important to know the right tools for the job in order to avoid injury to oneself and damage to the materials. To this end, it is advisable to thoroughly read the instruction manuals provided with the equipment and get familiar with the recommended safety precautions. 4. Correct method of using tools: Tools should not be carried by their cords; tools that are not in use should be disconnected; and while handling a tool connected to a power source, fingers should be kept away from the on/off switch. 5. The right clothes: Long hair should be tied and loose clothing should be avoided. Ideally, clothing that covers the entire body should be worn and heavy gloves should be used in order to avoid sharp implements and splinters from hurting the hands. Masks prevent inhalation of harmful minute particles of the material that is being worked upon. Steel-toed work boots and hard hats can also be worn. 6. Tool inspection: Power tools should not be employed in wet environments and should never be dipped in water; they should be checked periodically for exposed wiring, damaged plugs, and loose plug pins. Nicked cords can be taped but if a cut appears to be deep, a cord should be replaced. Tools that are damaged or those that sound and feel different when used should be checked and repaired. 7. Cleanliness in the work area: This should be maintained because accumulated dust particles in the air can ignite with a spark. Of course, flammable liquids should be kept covered and away from the place where power tools are being used. An uncluttered work area also makes it easy to maneuver the power tool; often distractions caused by a tangled cord can result in an accident. 8. Care with particular tools: Miter saws and table saws should be used with a quick-release clamp and a wood push-through, respectively. Extra care should be taken while using nail guns and power belt sanders. 9. Keep tools in place: Power tools should be returned to their cabinets after use to prevent them from being used by an unauthorized and incapable person. 10. Lighting: It is important to use proper lighting while working with power tools, particularly when working Marty, the Angel Repairman Suzanne Solle 1e0a I was in a somewhat confused place in my life a couple of years ago. I had been unceremoniously ousted from my high paying marketing position two years before and was still struggling with a lot of who am I and why am I here? type questions. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was in the process of evolving from a person that lived almost entirely through my mind to the person I'm becoming who lives from her heart and soul. Of course, life marches on even when you're in the throughs of a personal identity crisis. At this point, fate had thrown me a broken dishwasher. Our family's finances at the time of the appliance meltdown were abysmal. Finally, after several months of dealing with mountains of dirty dishes strewn around the kitchen, I cried Uncle. I bought a dishwasher with the remaining credit available on our credit card. I was so happy when the two young men showed up to install my shiny new best friend. It was stainless steel on the front, absolutely beautiful, and amazingly quiet. Too quiet, as it turned out. I used my sleek new companion several days in a row. Each time I finished running the dishwasher and took out the dishes, they were still dirty. I called the store to ask for help and they promised to send someone out the next morning to check into the problem. Marty, the repairman, showed up right on time. He was around fifty, slender and had a cowboy sort of air about him. I was immediately comfortable with him. He seemed open and friendly, competent and wise. We went into the kitchen and within five minutes, Marty had determined that the installers hadn't opened a water valve completely, so there wasn't adequate water reaching the dishwasher. I was relieved the problem was so simple and easily fixed. I thanked him and offered him some coffee. He accepted a mug, leaned back against the kitchen counter and after taking a sip, asked me if I believed in angels. His question caught me off guard, it didn't fit with our conversation up to that point. I asked what prompted him to ask me that question. He said he'd noticed I had several angel and cherub paintings and figurines around my house and garden. I felt slightly disconcerted and avoiding his original question, I said yes, I did indeed collect them. He then handed me a postcard from his tool box with information about a store in Independence, Missouri, about 45 minutes from my home. He said I should go there some time because the owner had many angel objects for sale. I asked Marty how he found out about the store. He proceeded to tell me an amazing story. About six months before I met Marty, his only daughter had been killed in a car accident on I-435, a nearby highway. She was a passenger in the front seat riding with a couple of friends. The driver's cellular phone rang and he dropped it while trying to answer it. When he bent over to pick it up, he lost control of the car and slammed into a concrete barrier. Marty's daughter was the only person that was killed. She was in her early twenties at the time of her death. She and Marty were very close and always had been. He loved to grow roses in his backyard. He called them his babies. After he got home from work during the warmer months, he would go out to tend his roses. His daughter would often join him in the garden. Marty would always cut one perfect rose and wordlessly hand it to her. It was his way of telling her how much he valued her and how beautiful she was to him. Just a few days after her death, Marty had a dream or vision of his daughter telling him that she was at peace and he should move forward with his life. This dream gave him a sense of calm and peace he said. Unfortunately, his wife felt no such peace. She was despondent and could see no point to anything in life. Marty tried to help his wife by telling her about his dream, but she seemed to be out of his reach. A few months later, Marty and his wife were driving around in downtown Independence. He was trying to get her to decide where to go for lunch, but she was unresponsive. Marty's anger from all the pressure building over the last few months of his wife shutting everyone and everything out threatened to explode. He took a deep breath and said he was going to drive around the square until she made a decision about where they were going. He drove around and around, receiving no response from his wife. When he had tired of driving, he stopped the car, and turned to her to try to reason with her one more time. When he turned to look at her, he saw they were in front of a store called the Angel Lady. He previously didn't even know this store existed. He told his wife they needed to go into the store. He couldn't explain why, he just knew they needed to go inside. As they entered the store, Marty said he immediately felt a sense of peace wash over him. The store is in an old house and consists of several small rooms filled with angel paintings, figurines, books, music -- anything you can imagine with an angel theme. As they entered the second room, Marty looked up and saw a painting of an angel holding a rose. The angel's face looked just like his daughter's. He showed it to his wife and said he must buy it. For the first time since their daughter's death, Marty's wife seemed to be alive. She agreed that they must have the painting for their home. This experience was the turning point for Marty's wife accepting and moving beyond their daughter's death. He said that was the reason he carried cards from the Angel Lady with him wherever he went. He felt there were always people that needed to experience the healing that he and his wife had and he wanted to help them find it. It was time for Marty to go to his next service call. He had more appliances to repair, more souls to heal. About the AuthorSuzanne is a recovering intellectual/technical person who http://www.aaarticles.com/article13422.html | ||||||||||||||||||||
