First Rule of woodturning:- Always do things safely.
Second Rule:- HAVE FUN do not take yourself or your work too seriously.
Make sure your tools are always SHARP as blunt tools make work much harder and dangerous.
Always make sure the toolrest and any other item are not in the way of the wood on the lathe, do this by turning the material slowly by hand before switching the machine on. Also make sure the material is held securely in your chuck or any othe method you prefer to use.
Will add more at a later date!!