It’s already enough having to stress over the security of your website, right? If you’re the only one who’s managing that as a solopreneur, then that’s already one thing to juggle. But then you have other things too, like customer service, marketing, inventory, you get the idea here. And while yes, you have all of that to juggle, you’re also going to have to think about your workspace, too. So, as you already know, it’s not like anyone is going to come to your house or workshop and inspect it unless you’re making food or hygiene/ beauty products. So if you have a workshop, like woodworking, for example, you’re on your own devices when it comes to safety.
Sure, that’s great, but at the same time, it’s not great either because you’re up to your own devices. It’s just you, your tools, your orders, and that constant feeling that there’s always one more job you “might as well” do before stopping. So yeah, safety slides way down the list and lands somewhere between “I know, I know” and “I’ll sort that later.” But do you see the problem here? Well, the problem is, in a one-person workshop, the danger isn’t usually some big dramatic accident. It’s all the tiny, boring things that stack up day after day. You don’t really care or even realize it all until it’s too late.
Now, with that part said, this isn’t about turning your space into some stiff, corporate factory; it’s seriously about you just staying safe here.
It’s “Just You” and that’s Exactly Why it Matters
There’s this little voice a lot of solo makers have. It goes, “There aren’t any employees, so it’s fine,” or “It’s only me, it doesn’t really matter.” Which, yeah, sure, on paper, that sounds harmless. In real life, it means the only person bringing in money is also the one standing in the middle of every single risk, every single day. But even so, if your back goes, there’s no backup. If your lungs start struggling, there’s no one else who can step in and finish those orders.
Well, that, and there’s no paid sick leave, no light-duty role in the office, no extra pair of hands just hanging around. Okay, you get the whole idea here. Future you is basically the only “employee”, and yeah, future you’s the one who’ll deal with all the shortcuts that feel harmless right now.
How Dusty is the Workspace?
But dust happens everywhere, though, so what’s even the big deal here? While it might not seem like a big deal, you’re breathing in that dust, and it’s going straight into your lungs. Meaning, that short term, it’s a little cough, a scratchy throat, feeling weirdly wiped out after a long day (maybe you’ve noticed that), but long term, well, that dust irritates the airways.
What could potentially happen is that asthma problems are happening (it’s a slow process, but known to happen). Yeah, sure, sweeping up at the end of the day is nice, but it doesn’t undo hours of breathing that stuff in. Like it or not, but you need to begin by just controlling the dust, like the source.
All businesses are different, so if you run a furniture workshop as an example, then having one of those attached vacuums in your miter saw could help. Sometimes, a shop vac isn’t always going to solve the problem, or having a window open, or the garage door, or whatever else.
Sometimes you might even need to go further and have a proper ventilation system, and have Donaldson Torit filters to help you out (a lot of factories use this, and even medium businesses too).
How are You Managing the Fumes?
Just as dust gets in the lungs, well, fumes aren’t really any different, and a big array of businesses use chemicals (for all sorts of different purposes) that also produce some fumes. So, think about it, there’s also the chemicals that quietly live on shelves (again, most businesses have something). For example, you’ve got stains, oils, varnishes, solvents, spray finishes, glues, cleaners, all the bottles and cans that come out when a project’s nearly done.
But you get the idea here, plenty of examples. But you really need to keep in mind that in a small workshop, garage, or shed, those fumes don’t just disappear the moment the lid goes back on. Seriously, over time, these can cause a lot of respiratory issues.
There’s Usually the Constant Loud Noises
Well, for workshops at least, most, even a small sewing workshop can be loud due to the sewing machine, which, sure probably sounds a bit overkill. Anyways, getting back on track, be it an actual employer or your own little workshop, a major issue is just not taking your hearing health seriously. It’s a bit scary to think, but one tool at a time, well, all of them, all day, every day, slowly wear away at your hearing in a way that doesn’t grow back.
For example, if you use a saw, are you wearing ear plugs or any sort of hearing protection? After using tools, are you hearing a ringing sound? Well, if you are, that’s not a good sign. Hearing health is just one of those things that a lot of people just don’t take seriously for some reason, but it’s absolutely a big deal! If you use loud tools, start wearing ear plugs (and don’t blast music either be it speakers or headphones).
Any Tripping Hazards?
Granted, this one sounds super obvious now, right? But think about it, one tiny tripping hazard can lead to a lot more issues than you might even want to admit. Most solo makers know that feeling of stepping over the same cable twenty times a day and telling themselves it’ll get sorted when things calm down. Then things don’t calm down, and three months later that cable’s still right there, playing tripwire. Usually it only takes a few minutes to sort out, so maybe it’s time to finally fix those errors.
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