If your job involves any kind of power tools, someone probably walked you through how to use them on the first day.
I wasn’t so lucky.
Day one at the factory, I was shown my workstation and told what to do. They handed me some safety glasses and earplug, told me to make sure the machine guard stays on the miter saw, and that was basically it.
My supervisor probably thought I was already familiar with powered saws, but this would actually be my first time using one. I was too embarrassed to admit that and ask for more instructions, so I put on the thick plastic glasses, lined up the hollow aluminum bar I was supposed to saw in half, and sent the blade whirring.
Thankfully, nothing terrible happened. I still have all ten fingers. But looking back now, I can see all the things that could have gone wrong. And I really hope the new crew at the old factory is doing a better job of training their employees.
If you use a power saw regularly, you might have become a little too comfortable with it. A lot of things can go very wrong with a blade that moves with that kind of speed, but even experienced workers will sometimes put their safety at risk by using them in a rush and cutting corners.
So, let’s take a look at some basic safety tips for using power saws. Whether you’re new to them like I was 20 years ago or an old pro who hasn’t gone over the safety guidelines in a while, it’s a refresher we could all use.
First and Foremost: Use the Right PPE
Safety professionals refer to personal protective equipment (PPE) as the last line of defense against safety hazards. But it should be the first thing you consider when you’re about to work with any kind of power tool.
In the case of power saws, your basic safety gear will be a combination of eye, hearing, and respiratory protection.
Safety Glasses and Goggles
No matter what material you’re cutting into, your power saw will create a number of tiny projectiles. These could be wood chips and splinters, small metallic shards, or plastic shavings.
These are mostly harmless – unless you get one in the eye. There, they can do some real damage.
To prevent that from happening, you’ll need some proper eyewear.
Safety glasses are the most common option. Make sure you’re using a pair that has side shields to give you additional protection against flying debris.
Safety goggles will do the trick too, since they fully encase your eyes and will prevent any projectile from reaching them.
And of course, face shields will also provide you with the protection you need.
Your regular glasses won’t, though. If you happen to wear glasses, they’ll give you more protection than simply having your eye completely exposed, but it won’t be enough. Safety glasses cover a much larger area, so your everyday glasses aren’t a substitute for them.
Earplugs and Earmuffs
Hearing protection is also necessary.
Using a power saw creates noise at a volume of around 90 to 100 dBA. And it only takes prolonged exposure to noise at about 85 dBA to cause hearing damage.
So even if you think the sound of the saw is tolerable, you still need hearing protection to make sure you aren’t risking permanent hearing loss.
You basically have two option when it comes to hearing protection: earplugs and earmuffs.
When worn properly, earplugs offer better hearing protection than earmuffs. And because they don’t sit around the ear, they won’t cause any issues with the safety glasses you’ll be wearing.
That being said, either option is fine. Earmuffs might not perform quite as well as earplugs, but they’ll provide adequate hearing protection for the noise produced by any power saw.
Respirators
Depending on how much you’re cutting, you might need to wear a respirator as well.
That’s something else that was treated as option at the factory where I used to work. But I started wearing one because my job involved slicing through aluminum and I had a feeling inhaling metallic particles all the live long day wasn’t doing wonders for my health.
Again, I really hope they have a better safety system in place now.
One quick cut through a 2×4 might not worry you too much. But spraying sawdust into your breathing zone for minutes at a time or several times a day could affect the health of your lungs.
Cutting through any kind of material is going to create a lot of dust and small particles. And you will breathe some of them in – without any respiratory protection, that’s basically guaranteed. So even if you’re not dealing with materials that are inherently hazardous, you should still take steps to prevent them from reaching your airways.
A dust mask is the standard option. It will do the job of keeping the dust from reaching your nostrils and your mouth.
Air filtering respirators like N95 masks will also work. But they’ll provide more protection than you actually need for this kind of job.
Check out our free whitepaper on the Causes, Consequences, and Costs of Occupational Hearing Loss!
What About Safety Gloves?
You might have noticed that gloves weren’t include in the list of power saw PPE, and there’s a good reason for that.
See, you’d think that safety gloves would be a no-brainer. You’re using a powered blade with more sharp teeth than you can count, so you might be tempted to slip on a set of cut-resistant gloves – the thicker, the better.
That might make you feel safe, but it’s actually putting you at greater danger.
It sounds really counterintuitive, but if your hand comes in contact with the blade, you’re better off being bare-handed than wearing protective gloves. That’s because the glove can get caught on one of the blade’s teeth, and the circular motion will then pull the glove into the blade – along with your hand.
Having the saw slice into your finger is a terrible outcome. But having it pull your entire hand into its path is much worse.
So, no. Don’t ever wear safety gloves (or any gloves for that matter) when operating a power saw with a rotating blade.
But what about jigsaws, reciprocating saws, band saws, and other powered saws that don’t have a circular blade?
Well, you don’t really need safety gloves for those either.
There’s no major danger to wearing them (other than possibly giving you a false sense of security), but they’re not really needed. Your hands won’t come close to the blade when you’re operating those tools, so the risks are minimal.
Power Saw Safety Tips
Now that you’ve got all your safety gear on, it’s time to actually operate the saw. Here are some essentials tips for using it safely:
- Inspect the saw before each use and check that the blade is secured and properly aligned
- Make sure the blade is sharp and replace it if needed (a dull blade can get caught or cause kickback)
- Check the guard to make sure it’s stable and properly installed
- Unplug and power down the saw before making any adjustments to the blade or the guard
- Don’t operate the saw when wearing loose clothing, jewelry, or anything else that could get caught in the blade
- If possible, use clamps to secure the material you’ll be cutting instead of holding it in place with your hand
- Cut material that has enough length for you to hold securely without placing your hand too close to the blade (it’s better to get a new piece to cut from, even if it means wasting a spare end)
- Don’t use the saw if anyone standing near you isn’t wearing proper PPE (they’re also at risk of hearing damage, flying particles, and dust inhalation)
One Final Tip
I want to end with one final safety tip: ask for help if you ever need it.
When I first started using that intimidating miter saw, I just followed my gut and hope for the best. It was my first job and I didn’t want to rock the boat.
But I really should have rocked it. That would’ve been the safe thing to do.
Besides, I’m sure my supervisor would’ve much preferred walking me through every step of the safe operating procedures than having to run for the first aid kit when the new kid hurt himself with the power tools.
Always wear the right PPE. Inspect the saw before cutting. And if you’re at all unsure about the integrity of the saw or how you should be using it, get the answers you need before using the saw.
Ready to learn more? Check out our free webinar on What You Need to Know About Bandsaws!
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