I am on old woodworker, about 25 years, but pretty new to turning. I bought my lathe a little over a year ago. Until then my turning experience was limited to high school wood shop and a college level cabinet class. Fortunately between my old teachers and some books I read to get me started, I developed the habit of wearing that pesky, dusty, rather uncomfortable face shield with a frontal helmet protection.
Yesterday afternoon I was turning between centers to produce a set of knobs for a play kitchen I am building for my grandaughter. Lathe was running at about 600 rpm and I set the roughing gouge aside, preparing to crank the speed up. Looking back down toward my work I don't believe I actually saw it move - I just heard a 'thump' as my head was bounced back. Startled, I looked down and the 15" long by 2" square piece of stock was cradled between my arm and the lathe bed. It left a ding in the helmet and a scuff in the plastic face shield. I hate to think how many stitches this could have caused - or worse an eye injury. As it is, I was totally untouched.
Lessons:
1) Keep wearing the plastic hat.
2) Be more careful when I score the tail stock end of the workpiece. I built a V-Block jig to cut the "X" to accept the spur at the headstock end. I usually turn the piece around to lightly score the "X" into the other end to center punch and locate the center at the tail. I scored one of the lines too deeply allowing the center to find its way out of the workpiece - Dummy!