Ryszard Szymani, PhD — Director and Safety Consultant, Wood Machining Institute

Over 42 years of experience in industrial and home accidents investigation with wood working equipment and cutting tools.  These include:

• Safety and hazard analysis in woodworking and the wood industry:  design, manufacture, use and maintenance of wood processing machinery; guarding, warnings, training, codes, standards, customs and practices.
• Personal injury with portable power saws, table saws and chain saws and machinery related accidents including gang saws and sawmill edgers, band saws, planing and molding machines, wood chippers and conveyers.
• Patent applications and infringements.
• Attending international trade shows and conferences for the wood industry and reporting on safety issues in the international newsletter, Wood Machining News (1984-2019). See www.woodmachining.com for details. 
• Making presentations on safety issues at the  Annual WMI Workshops on Design, Operation and Maintenance of Saws and Knives (1985-2018); WMI workshops on Wood Machining and Cutting Tools; and in the past at the international conferences on Sawing Technology (SawTech 2003 & 2005), organized by the Wood Machining Institute.

     The last presentation on "Safety and Ergonomic Issues in the Wood Industry: Review of Causes of Accidents in Sawmills and How They Can Be Avoided" was made October 16, 2018 during the 28th Annual WMI Workshop on Design, Operation and Maintenance of Saws and Knives, Portland, Oregon, just before the Timber Processing and Energy Expo (TPEE).