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Safeguarding Table
and Panel Saws
For Employers
and Supervisors
Woodworking is a risky business
Safeguarding the point of operation
Woodworking is inherently dangerous. Table saws
are by far the most common piece of equipment
involved when serious accidents occur. Most of
these saws are hand fed and used to cut materials of
varying dimensions. This means the operator’s hands
are frequently close to the blade during the cutting
process. An unguarded 10˝ circular saw blade turning
at approximately 225 km/h leaves a lot of potential for
serious injury.
The WorkSafeBC publication Safeguarding Machinery
and Equipment: General Requirements defines a
safeguard as “a solution or a combination of solutions
that eliminate or reduce the risk of exposure to
hazardous moving parts or other harmful conditions.”
Guards protect against unforeseen and unpredictable
circumstances such as kickbacks or jammed materials,
and are designed to prevent accidental contact with the
blade.
On average, there are more than 40 amputations in
the woodworking industry each year. Most involve
table saws and some involve panel saws. In most of
these incidents, the saws are not equipped with pointof-operation safeguarding (blade guards and other
devices).
The point of operation is where the stock is cut,
shaped, bored, or formed by the tool (for example, the
saw blade or knife head). In practice, safeguarding
the point of operation often requires a combination of
solutions. For table and panel saws, this means the use
of blade guards and safety devices such as push sticks
and jigs, plus possibly warning signs.
This crew talk provides employers and supervisors
with information that will help protect workers from
injuries while using table and panel saws.
Safety is a shared responsibility
Everyone in the shop has a role to play to keep the
workplace safe:
• Employers are responsible for equipping saws
with effective point-of-operation safeguarding, as
required by the Occupational Health and Safety
Regulation (see page 3 of this crew talk).
• Supervisors must ensure that safeguards are used as
required and that workers follow their training.
• Workers must work in accordance with safety
regulations, follow their training, and report any
safety concerns to their supervisors.
Crew
Table saw with self-adjusting guard
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Talk
Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
For Employers and Supervisors
A well-designed point of operation guard system should:
Types of guards
Most guards for table and panel saws fall into two basic
categories:
• Reduce the risk of injury from contact with the saw’s
point of operation
1.The widely used traditional style guards that mount
on the saw’s trunnion assembly
• Accommodate a wide range of cutting operations
• Be minimally intrusive to the cutting process
2.The over-arm style guards that mount on the
extension table
Removing the guard
Blade guards on table saws, and to a much lesser degree
panel saws, cannot be used in every circumstance. The
OHS Regulation allows for the temporary removal of
the guard, where its use is impracticable or where the
guard itself creates a hazard. The term impracticable
means “that which is not reasonably capable of being
done.” Impracticable does not mean inconvenient; there
should be few situations where it is impracticable to use
the guard.
Guard characteristics
Both types of guards are effective, but each design
has different characteristics that may be of differing
importance to you, depending on how you use your
saws. For example, one very common style of guard
mounts on the saw’s trunnion assembly and moves with
the blade as it is tilted, so the side-shield assemblies
tend to be narrower than those on over-arm style guards,
which must be wide enough to provide adequate blade
clearance when the blade is tilted. In general, the
narrower the guard the better, as there is less access to
the point of operation.
In some cases, however, the guard may physically
obstruct the cutting process (for example, when cutting
dados or narrow pieces of material). In these cases, the
guard may be temporarily removed, but another safety
device (or devices) must be used, such as a push stick,
push block, feather board, or similar device. Note that
the operator’s hands are not an acceptable alternative to
a push stick, push block, or similar device. Replace the
guard once that cutting operation is completed.
Another characteristic to consider is whether the guard
self-adjusts for different material thicknesses. Guards
that do not have this feature must be adjusted manually
by the operator. This is important, because the guard is
not effective if it is positioned 2˝ above the top of the
work piece, which allows ample room for the operator’s
hands to contact the blade.
Panel saws
Although panel and table saws both have the same
safeguarding requirements, they are intended for
different applications. Panel saws are most often used
for cutting large composite panels using the sliding
table, while table saws are used for a wide range
of general cutting applications. The difference is
significant, largely because the design and use of a panel
saw means that the operator’s hands are usually well
away from the blade, reducing the risk of injury. This is
one of the main reasons why there are far fewer injuries
involving panel saws than table saws.
The most common style of guard incorporates an
integral splitter and anti-kickback fingers, which are
required when using saw blades with rip-type teeth,
such as a 10˝ x 24˝ tooth blade used to rip solid wood.
Because these saw blades are more likely to grab the
work piece and propel it back toward the operator, these
added safety devices are required.
Over-arm style guards do not incorporate these features;
they must be added to the saw separately. Although it is
not a safeguarding feature, some over-arm guard designs
provide the added benefit of an integral dust-collection
pickup. When removal of the guard is required, overarm guards are usually easier to remove and replace.
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Page 2 of 6
OHS Regulation
Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
For Employers and Supervisors
Six key requirements
This section reprints the six key requirements in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation that apply
to point-of-operation safeguarding and the associated safety devices required for use with this type of
equipment.
12.2 Safeguarding requirement
Unless elsewhere provided for in this Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, the
employer must ensure that machinery and equipment is fitted with adequate safeguards
which
(a) protect a worker from contact with hazardous power transmission parts,
(b) ensure that a worker cannot access a hazardous point of operation, and
(c) safely contain any material ejected by the work process which could be hazardous
to a worker.
12.3 Standards
The application, design, construction and use of safeguards, including an opening in a
guard and the reach distance to a hazardous part, must meet the requirements of CSA
Standard Z432-94, Safeguarding of Machinery.
12.4 Effectiveness of safeguards
A safeguard must be capable of effectively performing its intended function.
12.58 Hand feeding
A template, jig, or pushstick must be used if there is a risk of injury to a worker’s hands
when feeding woodworking machinery.
12.59 Removing guards
(1) If the use of a guard on woodworking machinery is clearly impracticable for a
specific operation, the guard may be removed, but an appropriate pushstick, jig,
feather board or similar device must be used to prevent the operator encroaching
into the cutting area, and upon completion of the operation the guard must be
replaced.
(2) A guard may otherwise only be removed if the guard itself creates a hazard, or if its
removal is necessary for maintenance.
12.60 Kickback fingers, splitters and spreaders
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a hand-fed circular saw with rip-type teeth
must have kickback fingers and a splitter or spreader designed to prevent kickback.
(2) Kickback fingers, splitters or spreaders are not required when grooving, dadoing or
rabbeting.
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Page 3 of 6
Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
For Employers and Supervisors
Safe work practices
How to deliver a crew talk
A guard alone is not a guarantee against injury.
Operators must also use safe work practices. The
following are examples of what to consider when
developing safe work practices for table and panel saws.
Prior to giving this crew talk, ensure that all machinery
is safeguarded as required.
• Read about safeguarding before you talk to your crew
about the safe use of saws. Read the WorkSafeBC
manual Safeguarding Machinery and Equipment:
General Requirements, pages 68–78.
Guard height
For guards that do not self-adjust to the material height,
make sure there is minimal clearance between the guard
and the top of the material. This helps to maintain the
effectiveness of the guard.
• Read the OHS Regulation excerpts on page 3.
• Gather your crew together to watch the slide show
Guarding for Woodworking.
• Distribute the Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
crew handout after watching the slide show.
Blade height
It is not uncommon for the operator to set the saw blade
far higher than it needs to be. The gullet on the blade
is designed to clear waste material, and the blade will
function effectively with the blade height set so the
bottom of the gullet clears the top of the material by no
more than 1/4˝. Setting the blade higher than that only
increases the risk of injury to the operator.
• Emphasize that blade guards are not a guarantee
against injury. Saw operators must pay attention, use
all safeguarding devices as required, and follow safe
work practices at all times.
Discussion topics
1. Emphasize WorkSafeBC statistics. In the
five years from 2001 to 2005 there were
208 amputations and 1048 serious cuts and
lacerations in the woodworking industry in B.C.
Hand position
Even with the guard in place, it is possible for the
operator to be seriously injured. There is always some
risk of injury to a worker’s hands when hand feeding
the saw, so determine safe hand positions for different
applications, and make the use of push sticks or other
safety devices mandatory.
2. Use the Crew Handout for Workers as your
discussion guide.
3. Discuss how injuries can occur on table and panel
saws.
Removing the guard
4. Explain which saws have been safeguarded to meet
the requirements of the OHS Regulation.
The guard belongs on the saw and in use, except in
infrequent circumstances where its removal is necessary
for a specific cutting operation. Determine when and
under what conditions the guard may be removed, and
specify the safety devices that must be used during
that cutting operation. The vast majority of amputation
injuries involving table saws occur on saws that are not
equipped with point-of-operation safeguarding.
5. Explain the safe work procedures to be followed
when using table and panel saws.
6. Emphasize that safeguarding is mandatory. Make
sure all workers are trained in safe work procedures.
7. Dispel the attitude that “it won’t happen to me.”
Don’t encourage or allow shortcuts or carelessness.
8. Cite at least two true stories of injuries from your
experience or that of the crew (or use the Hazard
Alert examples from the crew handout).
9. Instruct the crew to identify and report any safety
concerns on machinery they operate.
10.Answer any questions or concerns they might have.
11.Set a good example by working safely at all times.
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Page 4 of 6
Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
For Employers and Supervisors
Keep the ball rolling: Follow-up
WorkSafeBC resources
Employers are required by law to ensure that machinery
is equipped and operated in accordance with the OHS
Regulation. You must effectively train your crew in
the proper use of safeguards and be vigilant in your
supervision to ensure that they follow safe work practices.
For more information on safeguarding woodworking
machinery, see Safeguarding Machinery and
Equipment: General Requirements. Ensure that your
managers cover the
relevant sections of
Safeguarding Machinery
the booklet in more
and Equipment
General Requirements
detail with their
crews.
After this crew talk, inform your workers that you will:
• Observe work activity to ensure that safeguards are
being used consistently and correctly.
These and many
other health and
safety publications
are available at
WorkSafeBC.com
(click Publications).
• Support positive behaviours when safeguarding
devices have been used correctly.
• Correct unsafe work practices when they are
observed.
• Reinforce safe work practices for table and panel
saws by presenting this crew talk periodically.
Record of crew talk
Crew member comments and suggestions:
Date:
Department:
Supervisor:
Crew members present (print names clearly and keep
on file):
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Page 5 of 6
Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
For Employers and Supervisors
Safeguarding checklist
 Is each table and panel saw in the shop equipped with a guard over the blade?
 Are the guards firmly secured and not easily removable?
 Are splitters and anti-kickback fingers installed on each table and panel saw when required?
 Do the blade guards effectively restrict access to the saw blades by preventing the operator’s hands from
encroaching into the cutting area?
 Is there evidence that the guards have been tampered with or removed and not replaced as required?
 Could you suggest ways to make the safeguards more effective?
Piece of equipment
Blade guard
present?
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Page 6 of 6
Splitter & kickback
fingers present?
Push stick
present?
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Safeguarding Table
and Panel Saws
Crew Handout
for Workers
4. Saw guard not properly adjusted and maintained
— Watch to see if there is excess clearance between
the top of the stock and the guard. If needed, adjust
the guard so it effectively covers the blade.
Why do I need a guard?
Simply put, the guard is there to protect you from
contact with the saw blade. The rim speed of a
10″ circular saw blade is approximately 225 km/h.
The saw blade does not differentiate between you and
the stock. It only takes a split second to amputate your
fingers.
5. Hand position — Keep your hands as far away
from the blade as possible while maintaining control
of the stock.
6. Kickbacks — A kickback is more likely to occur
when you are:
The blade does not differentiate
between the stock and your hands
• Ripping solid wood
Guards protect you against unforeseen and
unpredictable circumstances, such as kickbacks or
jammed materials, including accidental contact with the
blade.
• Using a dull saw blade or the wrong blade for the
application
Common situations where injuries
occur
• Not using a splitter or anti-kickback device when
ripping
1. Hands too close to the blade — When the stock
unexpectedly moves or your hands slip, an accident
can occur. Whenever possible, use a push stick.
Customize push sticks for the application.
2. Inadequate support for the stock — You need to
use an outfeed table of adequate length to support
long work pieces during the cutting process. Avoid
reaching over the blade to retrieve the stock or
waste piece. If the saw does not have an outfeed
table, ask someone to assist you.
• Cutting with the bottom of the blade gullet more
than 1/4″ above the top of the stock
• Cutting poor-quality lumber
Avoid injury — Know your point of
operation
The point of operation is where the saw blade
contacts the stock.
3. Clearing jammed stock — If the stock gets
jammed between the fence and the blade, stop the
saw, wait for the blade to come to a complete stop,
and then clear the stock from the saw.
~ If a guard is missing off your saw, report it to your supervisor. ~
Crew
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Talk
Safeguarding Table and Panel Saws
Crew Handout for Workers
Keep yourself safe
Notice what is going on around you
2. Use a sharp blade that is designed for the
application.
Spot any unsafe conditions before you start to
3. Whenever possible, use an appropriate push stick to
feed the stock past the blade.
Act by telling your supervisor of any unsafe
4. In applications where you can’t use a guard, use an
appropriate push stick, jig, feather board, or similar
device to prevent you from reaching into the cutting
area. When you have completed the application, you
must replace the guard.
co-workers
Hazard alert
1. Make sure the blade is effectively guarded.
work on equipment or machinery
conditions. Watch out for yourself and your
Avoid a life-altering event for you and
your family
Don’t become a statistic
Did you know that in the five years from 2001 to
Do you know these people?
2005 there were 208 amputations and
Puncture wounds to forearm and
abdomen
1,048 serious cut and laceration injuries in
A worker was cutting a 12-ft. plank on a trim
Injuries associated with unguarded equipment
saw. A large sliver kicked back and punctured
and machinery often result in amputations,
the worker’s arm and abdomen.
disfigurement, or death.
your industry in B.C.?
Amputation
A worker’s hand was almost completely
amputated when he contacted an unguarded
jump (chop) saw activated by foot control.
Amputation of three fingers and partial
amputation of thumb
A worker was cutting a piece of wood three
inches wide on a table saw equipped with an
unguarded blade. The wood started to climb on
the saw blade. As the worker reached down to
hold the wood, one hand contacted the running
blade.
These accidents could have been potentially
avoided with the use of safeguards on
equipment.
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Page 2 of 2