5
23. Give your work undivided att ention. Looki ng
around, carrying on a conversation and
“horse-play” are careless acts that can result
in serious injury.
24. Maintain a balanced stance at all times so
that you do not fall into the blade or ot her
moving parts. Do not overreach or use
excessive force to perform any machine
operation.
25. Use the right tool at the correct speed and
feed rate. Do not force a tool or attac hment
to do a job for which it was not designed.
The right tool will do the job bett er and more
safely.
26. Use recommended accessories; improper
accessories may be hazardous.
27. Maintain tools with care. Keep saw b lades
sharp and clean for the best and safest
performance. Follow instructions for
lubricating and changing accessories.
28. Turn off the machine before cleaning. Use a
brush or compressed air to remove chips or
debris — do not use your hands.
29. Do not stand on the machine. Serious injury
could occur if the machine tips over.
30. Never leave the machine running
unattended. Turn the power off and do not
leave the machine until it comes to a
complete stop.
31. Remove loose items and unnecessary work
pieces from the area before start ing the
machine.
32. Keep hands out of the line of saw blade.
33. Use a push-stick when required.
34. Pay particular attention to instructions on
reducing risk of kickback.
35. Do not perform any operation freehand.
36. Never reach around or over saw blade.
37. Don’t use in dangerous environment. Don’t
use power tools in damp or wet location, or
expose them to rain. Keep work area well
lighted.
3.1 Kickback The most common accidents among table saw
users, according to statistics, can be linked to
kickback, the high-speed expulsion of material
from the table that can strike the operat or.
Kickback can also result in the operator’s hands
being pulled into the blade.
Kickback Prevention
Tips to avoid the most common causes of
kickback:
• Make sure the riving knife is always aligned
with the blade. A workpiece can bind or stop
the flow of the cut if the riving k nife is
misaligned, and result in kickback.
• Use a riving knife during every cut. The
riving knife maintains the kerf in the
workpiece, which will reduce the chance of
kickback.
• Never attempt freehand cuts. The workpiece
must be fed parallel to the blade, otherwise
kickback will lik ely o cc ur. Alwa ys us e t he rip
fence or miter gauge to support the
workpiece.
• Make sure that rip fence is parallel to blade.
If not, the chances of kickback are very high.
Take the time to check and adjust the rip
fence.
• Feed cuts through to completio n. Anytime
you stop feeding a workpiece that is in the
middle of a cut, the chance of binding,
resulting in kickback, is greatly increased.
Protection T ips from Kickback
Kickback can happen even if precautio ns are
taken to prevent it. Listed below are some tips to
protect you if kickback does occur:
• Stand to the side of the blade when cutting.
An ejected workpiece usually tra vels directly
in front of the blade.
• Wear safety glasses or a face shield. Your
eyes and face are the most vulnerable part
of your body.
• Never place your hand behind the blade. If
kickback occurs, your hand will be p ulled
into the blade.
• Use a push stick to keep your hands farther
away from the moving blade. If a kickback
occurs, the pus h stick will most likely take
the damage that your hand would have
received.