How do you feel about the safety issues? Should it be allowed?

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This type of work is probably common right across asia and been going on for decades so has become an accepted way of working that is alien to how we expect things in the west, so who are you going to approach if you think it should not be allowed ? This is where many problems arise across the world, we seem to think that everyone should have the same culture and attitudes as in the west rather than just accept they have a right to be different and we cannot enforce our values on others so if a particular country has a disproportionate number of one handed people due to accidents then that is there problem not ours.
 
Truly amazing production techniques. On the plus side, at 89 she still has all her digits - unlike Stuart Batty who I noticed recently had part of one missing
 
rather than just accept they have a right to be different and we cannot enforce our values on others so if a particular country has a disproportionate number of one handed people due to accidents then that is there problem not ours.

I think it's ok to accept their culture is different etc. The difficulty I think comes when we say I'm not going to work in X conditions but I'm happy to buy things made by someone forced to work in those conditions because they are cheaper.
 
forget the lack of safety - love the machines! that rotating disk - far better than a sanding disk, love that - and the lathes, set up optimally for what they do... I guess the spinning saw is a bit scary, but I suspect that the controlled nature of what they use it for means they are unlikely to have an issue...
 
Nice to see hook tools being used so well and love the chaff cutter at the start! Interesting to see a completely different take on lathes, too.
 
It's a free world. I always think people should be allowed to make their own mistakes. There are some very dodgy practices there but they seem to consider them as controlled risks. I also cringe when I see blokes in sawmills wearing flip flops. It is a 'Far Eastern ' culture unfortunately.
 
There is the argument that the lack of safety equipment makes the operator more reliant on their own wits in keeping themselves safe. It appears to work at some level but some of those machines would never make it to market in this part of the world!

Interesting to see the hand tools used and the forging process. Also instead of an adjustable height toolrest, one that slopes so you can use the appropriate part to get the tool height you want. What you don't see with the lathe is the "variable speed" drive which works by slipping the belt with a foot operated lever to give different speeds.
 
… we seem to think that everyone should have the same culture and attitudes as in the west rather than just accept they have a right to be different and we cannot enforce our values on others …
Very much this. I visited a factory in Mumbai. A worker sat at a band saw, in a plexi glass booth, cutting wooden heels for shoes. No emergency stop switch. No dust extraction. No dust mask. No ear protection. His co-worker slept on the sawdust at his feet. Looked at with western European eyes it was a health and safety disaster. With local eyes he had paid employment, seated under cover, and free accommodation, allowing him to send the majority of his earnings to support his family in a rural village.
 
No dust mask. No ear protection. His co-worker slept on the sawdust at his feet. Looked at with western European eyes it was a health and safety disaster.
But we were no better once upon a time, if you look at the history of our railways a lot of what they did is now regarded as total madness. Some of the rail sheds looked like some winter snow scene except it was not snow but asbestos and a lot of the wives died from asbestosis simply because they washed and dried their husbands work clothes.
 
You see much worse any day from U toobers that want to show us how woodwork is done. The difference is the tea caddy makers know what the risks are and to be honest It did not look all that unsafe. The U toober on the other hand buys a good safe saw then removes the safety features.
I really enjoyed that video especially the different approach to lathe work. Such a simple design but so much attention to detail.
Regards
John
 
In this context it looks like a mom and son business being operated to their own rules and satisfaction. Whilst someone has a choice to join a larger company with poor practices and standards, if there is no regulation then it’s a race to the bottom and there is no choice for the worker.
 
She had a pair of gloves with “M” for mum written on. What more does she need 😬
Between leaving school and going to university in 1971 I worked at a local Rope and Twine factory. It was a small family owned mill. Some of the working practices were distinctly unsafe and there was a fairly nasty accident when I was there. We ourselves have come a long way since then.
 
There is a difference between an employer who has some duty of care towards employees (moral and/or legal) and should ensure that basic well established H&S regimes are adhered to.

Folk working for themselves are at liberty to do as they choose. In some cases they may be aware of good practice but ignore it - "it won't happen to me" or "I know what I am doing". In others they may simply be unaware of the dangers associated with different materials and processes.

Many (in the UK) go through to normal retirement working at height of a ladder, dusty environments with limited or no filter protection, workshop with no eye protection, operate bladed machinery with inadequate guards etc. I am not sure whether they represent the norm or the lucky few!

A company I worked for in the 1970s operated 90 ton compression presses. New H&S regulations meant they had to fit guards to ensure fingers and hands would be out of the way as the press closed. It was perceived by management as an onerous requirement - how times change!!
 

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