Induction Script - Table Saw
Risk Assessment - Table Saws
This risk assessment is intended to provide guidance on the risk associated with the above equipment and activities in normal use. Please also check general risk assessments for the space as a whole. Any discrepancies, errors or concerns should be raised with the document maintainers or trustees - do not edit this assessment directly. For responsible persons and last update, see 'version log' of the assessment page.
Activity
Cutting wood or plastic on the table saw
Signage
Understanding Risk Rating
LOW - Ensure current control measures are in place and continue with activity
MED - Control measures may be adequate, co-supervision is recommended
HIGH - Do not undertake activity without further consultation with area specialists
Risk Assessment
| Identify Hazards | Who May be Harmed and How | Severity | Control Measures | Likelihood | Risk Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incompetent user | User, Bystander | HIGH | Users must be inducted to use this tool. Members must challenge use that they believe is dangerous. Users should read the user manual where applicable. Users must read the risk assessment before using a tool. | LOW | MED |
| Contact with blade | User | HIGH | Use guards as per instruction manual. Do not put hands into exclusion zone (within 30cm of blade). Use push sticks and the fence provided when making cuts. Do not move hands past the blade. Do not lean over the blade. Saw should be switched off immediately after use. Saw blade should stop within 10 seconds of being turned off | LOW | MED |
| Drawing in (being pulled into the saw) | User | HIGH | User should not wear gloves, ties, scarves, or other long flowy clothing that could get pulled into the blade. Do not put hands into exclusion zone (within 30cm of blade). Do not lean over blade | LOW | MED |
| Ejection of workpiece (Kickback) | User, bystander, the space | HIGH | Do not stand directly behind blade. Use a feather board when working with smaller pieces. Take care to keep the workpiece against the fence when making mitre cuts Ensure riving knife is in place | LOW | MED |
| Dust (inhalation, fire, explosion) | User, bystander | LOW | The saw should be used with the dust extractor attached and working. Maintenance must include the cleaning of dust from within the saw housing. A respirator or mask should be used whilst operating this tool for prolonged periods | LOW | LOW |
| Blade snatching or jamming | User, bystander | MED | Only cut wood and plastic on the table saw Ensure a visual inspection of the table saw is undertaken before every use to check for physical obstructions | LOW | LOW |
| Noise | User, bystander | LOW | Ear protection is advised. User to give audible warning (EARS, GOING LOUD) before switching on | LOW | LOW |
| Flying splinters | User, bystander | LOW | Eye protection must be worn whilst using the table saw Eye protection must be worn by all users of the workshop. Do not cut small pieces | LOW | LOW |
What is a Table Saw For?
Straight cuts in wood and certain plastics
- Sheet materials
- Rip cuts
- Crosscuts, to a certain extent
- Fancy joinery cuts of hundreds of types
Alternatives:
- Mitre saw generally easier for crosscutting
- Bandsaw for deep rip cuts
- Bandsaw for small stuff (smaller than A4 sheet of paper)
- Hand saws for even smaller stuff
Parts of the Machine
Point Out:
- The table
- The blade
- The guard
- The riving knife
- The throat plate
- The fence
- The fence locking lever and rack adjustment
- The fence scale
- The height adjuster
- The bevel adjustment
- The roller infeed stand
Pre-inspection
Check guard is fitted, lifts easily and falls under own weight
Check blade spins freely, not caught on guard
Check dust extractor is fitted
Guards
A guard is not always required, e.g. for tenon cutting, but must be used on all cuts where it reasonably can
Default induction does not cover changing guards. Tell the story about the badly fitted guard that nearly hit Toby in the face and ended up embedded in a nearby wall
Once you've done a regular induction ask someone for a 'level 2' quick session on changing guards at some point
Kickback
Kickback is probably the biggest risk with a table saw.
It happens when the wood gets pinched on the back part of the saw (where the motion is up and forwards towards the user) and gets flung.
It can have a variety of causes, the most common are
- Badly aligned fence (must be exactly parallel to the blade for success)
- Residual stress distortion of the wood pressing on the back of the blade
- Bad user technique twisting the wood.
- Attempting a freehand cut (never do this)
- Attempting a cross cut with the fence as a depth stop (never do this)
- Sometimes, it can just happen even with all the precautions.
It's not 100% reliable but the riving knife will protect you from most of these causes if it is properly fitted.
Very detailed article and video here that would make good secondary reading: https://kmtools.com/blogs/news/how-to-prevent-kickback
Hand Safety
- To put it in one sentence, don't put your hand in the blade
- Always know where your hands are and where they're going. Think through any movement before you make it, even if that bits stopping or pausing the cut
- Don't put them between the blade and the fence (unless the cut is more than about 300mm wide)
- Don't push wood in in-line with the blade
- Be careful reaching around the back, don't move hands over the blade
- We have push sticks. If we don't have a suitable push stick, stop cutting and go make on on the bandsaw (if trained) or scrollsaw.
Rip Cutting
- Set blade height - ideally 3 to 4mm (3 teeth) of saw sticking up above the material
- Set fence position - unlock, rack adjust, lock down
- Turn on dust extractor
- Set up roller stand for long material
- Turn on saw, blade not touching the wood, allow to come up to speed
- Push through the wood at steady pace. Use push sticks to keep simultaneously pressed against the fence, down against the table and forwards into the saw
- Switch off when cut complete
Bevel Cutting
- Loosen lock on front dial
- Best way to reach the bevel is to reach under the body of the saw from the side and lift up the blade enclosure
- Front dial is good enough for most purposes but check with angle measurer if critical
- Then, cut proceeds as normal. Just be more careful about hand placement with the side on
- Note fence scale doesn't apply to bevel cuts
Crosscuts
As of 2024-09-26 the default mitre guide is broken and can't be used, so we won't actively train on it
And anyway, it's usually a waste of time - the mitre saw gives better results than a bad mitre guide
The crosscut sled gives good results but you will need training on how to remove the guard.
After Use
- Sweep down the bed and the surrounding bench
- Hoover inside the machines if they've been run without extraction.
- Restore any guards/ bevel settings if you've messed with them
