TABLE SAW SAFETY RULES
c.
Never use the mitre gauge to feed the w orkpiece w hen ripping and do not use the rip fence as a length stop
w hen cross cutting w ith the miter gauge.
Guiding the workpiece with the rip fence and the mitre gauge at the same
time increases the likelihood of saw blade binding and kickback.
d.
When ripping, alw ays apply the w orkpiece feeding force betw een the fence and the saw blade.
Use a push
stick when the distance between the fence and the saw blade is less than 150mm, and use a push block when this
distance is less than 50mm. "Work helping"
devices will keep your hand at a safe distance from the saw blade.
e.
Use only the push stick provided by the manufacturer or constructed in accordance w ith the instructions.
This push stick provides sufficient distance of the hand from the saw blade.
f.
Never use a damaged or cut push stick.
A damaged push stick may break causing your hand to slip into the saw
blade.
g.
Do not perform any operation "freehand".
Always use either the rip fence or the mitre gauge to position and guide
the workpiece. "Freehand"
means using your hands to support or guide the workpiece, in lieu of a rip fence or mitre
gauge. Freehand sawing leads to misalignment, binding and kickback.
h.
Never reach around or over a rotating saw blade.
Reaching for a workpiece may lead to accidental contact with the
moving saw blade.
i.
Provide auxiliary w orkpiece support t o t he rear and/ or sides of t he saw t able for long and/ or w ide
w orkpieces to keep them level.
A long and/ or wide workpiece has a tendency to pivot on the table’s edge, causing
loss of control, saw blade binding and kickback.
j.
Feed w orkpiece at an even pace. Do not bend or tw ist the w orkpiece.
If jamming occurs, turn the tool off
immediately, unplug the tool then clear the jam. Jamming the saw blade by the workpiece can cause kickback or stall the
motor.
k.
Do not remove pieces of cut-off material while the saw is running.
The material may become trapped between
the fence or inside the saw blade guard and the saw blade pulling your fingers into the saw blade. Turn the saw off and
wait until the saw blade stops before removing material.
l.
Use an auxiliary fence in contact w ith the table top w hen ripping w orkpieces less than 2mm thick.
A thin
workpiece may wedge under the rip fence and create a kickback.
m.
Never Cut Metals, Cement Board or Masonry.
Certain man-made materials have special instructions for cutting on
table saws. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations at all times too avoid overheating the saw blade tips as well as
melting the plastic. Avoid overheating blade tips by pushing material through blade evenly. Forcing material to fast can
cause heating and damage to blade or workpiece. I f cutting plastics is permitted, cut at a slower pace to avoid melting the
plastic.
3.
Kickback causes and related w arnings
Kickback is a sudden reaction of the workpiece due to a pinched, jammed saw blade or misaligned line of cut in the workpiece
with respect to the saw blade or when a part of the workpiece binds between the saw blade and the rip fence or other fixed
object.
a.
Most frequently during kickback, the workpiece is lifted from the table by the rear portion of the saw blade and
is propelled towards the operator.
Kickback is the result of saw misuse and/ or incorrect operating procedures or conditions
and can be avoided by taking proper precautions as given below.
b.
Never stand directly in line w ith the saw blade.
Always position your body on the same side of the saw blade as
the fence. Kickback may propel the workpiece at high velocity towards anyone standing in front and in line with the saw
blade.
c.
Never reach over or in back of the saw blade to pull or to support the w orkpiece.
Accidental contact with the
saw blade may occur or kickback may drag your fingers into the saw blade.
d.
Never hold and press the workpiece that is being cut off against the rotating saw blade.
Pressing t he
workpiece being cut off against the saw blade will create a binding condition and kickback.
e.
Align the fence to be parallel w ith the saw blade.
A misaligned fence will pinch the workpiece against the saw blade
and create kickback.
f.
Use a featherboard to guide the w orkpiece against the table and fence w hen making non- through cuts such
as rabbeting, or resaw ing cuts.
A featherboard helps to control the workpiece in the event of a kickback.
g.
Use extra caution w hen making a cut into blind areas of assembled w orkpieces.
The protruding saw blade may
cut objects that can cause kickback.
h.
Support large panels to minimise the risk of saw blade pinching and kickback.
Large panels tend to sag under
their own weight. Support(s) must be placed under all portions of the panel overhanging the table top.
i.
Use extra caution w hen cutting a w orkpiece that is tw isted, knotted, w arped or does not have a straight
edge to guide it w ith a mitre gauge or along the fence.
A warped, knotted, or twisted workpiece is unstable and
causes misalignment of the kerf with the saw blade, binding and kickback.
j.
Never cut more than one w orkpiece, stacked vertically or horizontally.
The saw blade could pick up one or more
pieces and cause kickback.
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