Letter: Stone Safety Ignorance

I have noticed that in your magazine, as well as others, that there appears to be no regard for safety equipment use. There are several photos of fabrication shops with workers operating equipment and hand tools with out their personal safety equipment.
In the April ‘07 issue I find this difficult to understand. On page 34 the worker is operating a stone router without hearing protection, and again on page 53. Then there is an article titled “Learning and Sharing.” page 58. This is an article about a shop training seminar. There are photos on pages 58, 60 and 64. All of these photos are of people operating tools and equipment. There are also several observers with their faces close to the work tools.
None of these people have hearing, eye or dust protection. This is intended to be a training seminar? What kind of shop training is it if there is not safety first?
As an industry, we need to promote safe work practices. One of the most important things that a shop should have is a good safety program. I feel as a magazine you should not promote unsafe work habits. This is not the first time that I have noticed this problem, nor the only publication that has published these types of photos. There must be a way of either not using these types of photos or adding some statement about the non-use of personal safety equipment.
Safety should be the number one concern of everyone.

Tim Wiley
Stone Center Inc.
Portland, Ore.