In this post, I just want to talk about some of the safety aspects when using a table saw.
Safe table saw use
The table saw has always been a cause of many work related injuries. However, the saw is not always to blame for these injuries. What I mean by this is sure the saw did the damage to whatever has been injured but in many cases, it was due to the person who was using the machine. Now, this is just my opinion. Feel free to comment on your experiences at the end of this post.
Safe table saw use is actually just staying focused on what you are doing and using your head (Thinking straight), I have seen accidents where people have only themselves to blame as they operated the machine in an unsafe manner, was intoxicated when using the machine (not very clever) and removed any of the safety features the machine had in place.
Ok, the last point I made can be debated because I myself have had a couple of close calls when using the table saw but I removed the blade guard and a couple of other things because my table saw’s safety features were preventing me from actually cutting the timber in the first place. The saw was an entry level Ryobi with the stand. Now I am not blaming Ryobi for quality as you get what you pay for. The point I am trying to make is there is a reason one spends the extra bit of money and buy yourself a decent power saw with decent safety features like the Bosch 4100 09 table saw. The Bosch’s safety mechanisms work great and do not hinder your ability to operate the machine. Hence you are actually doing yourself a favor by avoiding any unsafe operating procedures. This alone goes a great way for the safe table saw use.
Another thing I want to mention is that people get over confident when operating power saws, actually power tools in general. You may have used it so often you feel you can do it with your eyes closed (that would be daft as well) but accidents happen so quickly you need to stay focused on what you are doing. Stand in the correct manner firmly footed, make sure the machine is level and there are no obstructions for you during your cut. Another thing is if the timber is very large you are trying to rip and you cannot control every aspect of the cut yourself then please get someone to help you. You are either going to mess up your cut or you are going to damage yourself or your saw.
Anyway, this is just a few tips on the safe table saw use from the top of my head and the experiences I have had. Feel free to post your comments on your experiences below or share any further tips that you have.