Here’s a scary statistic – there is a table saw injury every 9 minutes! According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission there are over 60,000 table saw injuries and 3,000 amputations per year.
Those statistics might make you question the wisdom of ever taking up woodworking, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve been a woodworker for thirty years and I‘m still counting to ten on my fingers. I’ve never had a table saw accident or a serious injury and it’s not because I’m lucky. It’s because I have a healthy respect for my tools and I pay attention to safety.
There is a table saw that will protect you. The SawStop can sense human contact and will stop and retract the blade so fast it prevents serious injury. It works by putting 3 volts of electricity through the blade – if you touch it the saw senses a voltage drop and stops the blade within 5 milliseconds.
Whether you have a SawStop or not there are basic safety tips you should consider:
- Check your wood before cutting. Nails, knots, screws, or staples make great projectiles. They can cause serious injury as well as damage your saw blade.
- Position your body, and especially your face, so you are not in line with the blade. Stay out of the line of fire in case there is a kickback.
- Use push-sticks and feather boards to guide the stock and keep your hands away from the blade.
- Always push your stock on the side of the blade the fence is on. Pushing on the outboard side guarantees the piece will bind and potentially kickback.
- Never make free-hand cuts on a table saw. Always guide the stock using the rip fence or the miter gauge.
- Use the splitters and blade guard that came with your saw. The splitter (or riving knife) holds the saw kerf open and prevents the stock from closing in on the blade and binding. The guard will help prevent casual contact with the blade, control sawdust from blowing back at you, and the anti-kickback pawls will control any piece that binds.
- Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. They may be annoying but they beat a trip to the ER or long-term hearing loss.
- Control dust. Invest in appropriate vacuum and filter equipment and use it. It’s hard to work when you are constantly coughing.
- Prepare for interruptions and unexpected guests. A sudden distraction in the middle of a cut is a recipe for disaster.
- Disconnect the electricity to any power tool before servicing it. Never depend on the switch!
Be sure to invest in safe equipment and if you are new to woodworking, take classes to learn to use the tools properly.
Ultimately, the most powerful tool in your shop is your brain. Think before you start. Visualize yourself doing the job safely. Thinking safety is the best protection.
Let’s be safe out there.
