I would suggest to anyone who is "A bit scared of using power tools" that they don't attempt to use them, at least until they learn the difference between having a "Healthy Respect" for the machinery & outright "Fear".
It may have been 35 or 40 years ago I applied for a help position in a Cabinetmakers shop. While I was interviewing for the job, the gentleman was cutting some tiny blocks of wood on the tablesaw by running them against the rip fence. The problem was that there really wasn't enough space between the sawblade & the rip fence for him to be "safely" running the work past the blade by hand without using a push stick. The blade height was low ,but you don't want to get into the habit of passing your fingers over. the space between the fence & the rotating sawblade.
I'm not sure if he was testing me for a reaction,but he seemed to take issue with my suggesting to him that he should not continue working like that if he valued remaining a Cabinetmaker. Sacrificing a digit or two is never an acceptable tradeoff for getting more work out.
I think what separates a "Craftsman" from others is the quality of "jigs" that he's using to assist his method of work with the tools he uses. & of course having a safe,reasonable,repeatable method of work.
