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Woodworking Machinery Saws

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October 2003
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2004-101
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Self-Inspection Checklist

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Guidelines

This checklist covers regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under 29 CFR 1910.213. It applies to hand-fed ripsaws, hand-fed crosscut table saws, circular resaws, self-feed circular saws, swing cutoff saws, sliding cutoff saws, bandsaws, and band resaws. This checklist must be used in conjunction with the Woodworking Machinery–General Requirements checklist. The regulations cited apply only to private employers and their employees, unless adopted by a State agency and applied to other groups such as public employees. A yes answer to a question indicates that this portion of the inspection complies with the OSHA and EPA standard, or with a nonregulatory recommendation.

  1. Hand-Fed Ripsaws

  2. Is each circular hand-fed ripsaw guarded by a hood that completely encloses the portions of the saw that are above the table and above the material being cut? [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(1)]
  3. Is the hood and mounting arranged so that the hood will automatically adjust itself to the thickness of the material and remain in contact with the material being cut? [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(1)]Note: The hood should not offer considerable resistance to insertion of the material.
  4. Is each hand-fed circular ripsaw furnished with a spreader to prevent material from squeezing the saw or being thrown back on the operator? [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(2)]
  5. Is each hand-fed circular ripsaw provided with no kickback fingers or dogs located to oppose the thrust or tendency of the saw to pick up the material or throw it back toward the operator? [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(3)]

    Hand-Fed Crosscut Table Saws

  6. Is each hand-fed crosscut table saw guarded by a hood that completely encloses portions of the saw that are above the table and above the material being cut? [29 CFR 1910.213(d)(1)]
  7. Is the hood and mounting arranged so that the hood will automatically adjust itself to the thickness of and remain in contact with the material being cut? [29 CFR 1910.213(d)(1)]Note: The hood should not offer considerable resistance to insertion of the material.

    Circular Resaws

  8. Is each circular resaw guarded by a hood or shield of metal above the saw? [29 CFR 1910.213 (e)(1)]
  9. Does each circular resaw have a spreader fastened securely behind the saw? [29 CFR 1910.213(e)(2)]

    Self-Feed Circular Saws

  10. Are feed rolls and saws protected by a hood or guard to prevent the hands of the operator from coming into contact with the in-running rolls at any point? [29 CFR 1910.213(f)(1)]Note: The guard must be constructed of heavy material (preferably metal), and the bottom of the guard must come down to within 3/8 inch of the plane formed by the bottom or working surfaces of the feed rolls. This distance may be increased to 3/4 inch, provided the lead edge of the hood is extended to at least 5-1/2 inches in front of the nip point between the front roll and the work.
  11. Is each self-feed circular ripsaw provided with sectional anti kickback fingers for the full width of the feed rolls? [29 CFR 1910.213(f)(2)]

    Swing and Sliding Cutoff Saws

  12. Are swing and sliding cutoff saws provided with a hood that completely encloses the upper half of the saw, the arbor end, and the point of operation at all positions of the saw? [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(1)]Note: The hood must be constructed to protect the operator from flying splinters and broken saw teeth. It must automatically cover the lower portion of the blade so that when the saw is returned to the back of the table, the hood will rise on top of the fence, and when the saw is moved forward, the hood will drop on top of and remain in contact with the table or material being cut.
  13. Are swing and sliding cutoff saws equipped with an effective device to return the saw automatically to the back of the table when released at any point of its travel? [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(2)]
  14. Are swing and sliding cutoff saws equipped with limit chains or other equally effective devices to prevent the saw from swinging beyond the front or back edges of the table, or beyond a forward position where the gullets of the lowest saw teeth rise above the table top? [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(3)]
  15. Are inverted swing cutoff saws provided with a hood that covers the part of the saw that protrudes above the table or above the material being cut? [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(4)]Note: The hood must automatically adjust itself to the thickness of the material and remain in contact with the material being cut.

    Radial Saws

  16. Does the upper hood completely enclose the upper portion of the blade down to the point that will include the end of the saw arbor? [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1)]
  17. Are the sides of the lower exposed portion of the blade guarded to the full diameter of the blade by a device that automatically adjusts itself to the thickness of the stock? Does this device remain in contact with the stock being cut to give maximum protection for the operation being performed? [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1)]
  18. Are radial saws used for ripping provided with no kickback fingers or dogs located on both sides of the saw to oppose the thrust or tendency of the saw to throw material back toward the operator? [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(2)]
  19. Is an adjustable stop provided that prevents the forward travel of the blade beyond the position necessary to complete the cut in repetitive operations? [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(3)]
  20. Is the installation designed so that the front end of the unit is slightly higher than the rear? (This design causes the cutting head to return gently to the starting position when released by the operator) [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(4)]Note: The cutting head should be fitted with an automatic return device.
  21. Is the direction of saw rotation conspicuously marked on the hood? [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5)]
  22. Is a permanent label (at least -1/2 inches by 3/4 inch) affixed to the rear of the guard at approximately the level of the arbor that reads as follows? Danger: Do not rip or plow from this end [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5)]

    Bandsaws and Band Resaws

  23. Are all portions of the band saws and band resaws enclosed or guarded, except for the working portion of the blade between the bottom of the guide rolls and the table? [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)]
  24. Does a self-adjusting guard raise and lower the guide? [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)]
  25. Is each band saw machine provided with a tension control device to indicate the proper tension for the standard saws used on the machine? [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(2)]
  26. Are feed rolls of band resaws protected with a suitable guard to prevent the hands of the operator from coming in contact with the in-going rolls at any point? [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(3)]