Patrick, I think the one thing you're ignoring or discounting is the fact that people can recognize a less than optimal safety situation and modify their work habits to accomodate the additional requirements needed to ensure they aren't injured.
For reference, in order to be in compliance with the work I do, I have to take a minimum of 6 hours per year of approved safety training courses on a variety of subjects - and nothing I do as part of my work can be in violation of the safety requirements. In 25 years, I've never been injured on the job, or had anyone of my co-workers injured.
BUT, a lot of the training is not so much for my safety, but to make the insurance and risk assessment people "happy."
I really wouldn't do anything that I felt was unsafe. I do recognize when a hazard level has increased, with the attendant increase in potential injury. In that case I take extra precautions to preclude being injured.
For example, I use a cabinet saw a lot without the blade cover and splitter/anti-kickback device in-place. Some people won't use a saw without a riving knife because they think the splitter is dangerous. Other people won't even use a saw unless it's one that has an automatic blade-stop device that totally prevents a saw from cutting a hand or finger.
I think it really depends upon your work habits. I don't want to cut myself, so when I perform cuts on the saw that cannot be done with the blade cover and splitter in-place, I take extra precautions in the form of feather boards, push sticks, and an assistant to help with feeding the wood. The work techniques and extra care are the preventive measures that substitute for the built-in safety devices on the saw.
I'm just really, really, really, extra careful and don't get my hand or fingers near the saw blade. In 20 years of using the saw, I've had ONE kickback and no injuries to me or anyone else assisting me - that's NOT luck - it's situational awareness, preparation, and care in performing the task. Therefore, I think it's fair to say - "I work safely."
Is that safe for everyone to do? Probably not, but other people's LACK of safety awareness plus the lack in ability to alter work methods to meet an increased hazardous situation doesn't somehow translate into an unsafe condition for me.
I've used a FEL on one occassion to lift a truss into place. One assistant rode the bucket with the truss while the other waited on a ladder to steer the truss into place. Everyone was well aware of the danger involved and we took extra precautions to make sure no one got injured.
If I needed a lift for work on a regular basis, I'd use forks with a lift cage meeting ANSI standard B56.1 The cages are readily available and only cost in the range of $400-$500. Or, if I had the time, I'd build a lift cage as they're not all that complicated to make to meet the standard.
But, if you want to be super-safe, you're supposed to use the cages with fall arresting equipment (body harness and lanyard). That prevents you from being really stupid and stepping out of the cage.
The question everyone has to answer for themselves is how far they want to go with safety equipment versus situational awareness and altering work methods.
If people feel safe using their FEL, and do so safely by altering work habits and taking extra precautions - while you may feel it's dangerous and would never do it - your level of safety "comfort" doesn't automatically translate to everyone else being unsafe or "macho-dumb."
