Perhaps you’ve heard about injuries sustained by professional brewers while they were working.
For example, in April 2012, a Redhook Brewery employee died from injuries he sustained when a plastic keg he was cleaning with pressurized air exploded. And this past August, Stone Brewing's Brewer Matt Courtright died when the forklift he was driving rolled. OSHA’s database of other brewing-related accidents includes injuries related to carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical shock, falling from towers, and exposure to dangerous chemicals.
But do you think of your homebrewing as a hazardous endeavor? Brewing your own beer in your basement, kitchen, or garage may not carry quite the same level of risk as skydiving or mountain climbing, but it pays to understand the comparatively few hazards. With a little planning, they’re almost completely preventable.