Custom knifemaking involves various activities that can lead to specific types of injuries and hazards such as:
1. Skin Wounds: Handling sharp blades can easily lead to serious cuts on the fingers or hands.
2. Burns: Burns are probably the most common injury as most of the time when forging, grinding, heat treating, or working with metal, it can be hot enough to burn skin while the metal can look like it is cool.
3. Eye Injuries: Sparks, metal filings and flying debris from grinding can harm the eyes if proper protective eyewear is not worn.
4. Hearing Injuries: Prolonged exposure to loud machinery or tools can lead to hearing loss. Ear protection such as earmuffs or earplugs should be worn.
5. Respiratory Issues: Inhaling metal dust, wood shavings, or fumes from chemicals used for finishing, such as oils or solvents, can lead to respiratory problems.
