Saws are one of the most common causes of injuries on construction sites. The National Institute of Heath reported over 30,000 table saw injuries in 2019. The medical costs resulting from these injuries were estimated at over $2 billion. Worse still is that many of the injuries to fingers and hands meant construction workers were no longer able to do their jobs.
Every year, safety training and refresher courses on how to use tools safely can help to save lives (and fingers!) Here’s a couple of points to go over with your crew. Safety is everyone’s duty, so please encourage all workers on your site to follow these safety rules.
- Always (always!) wear the personal protective gear necessary to operate a saw safely. That includes eye protection, face protection, gloves, ear plugs and masks.
- Don’t wear loose clothing or jewelry that can get caught in machinery.
- Leave the guards on all blades and rotating parts of the equipment.
- Don’t rush. Take your time and keep your eyes on your work and your hands out of the way.
- Use a self-adjusting guard which adjusts to the thickness of the wood.
- Always be prepared for kickbacks.
- Check your equipment regularly. Cords should be in good working order with no exposed wires. Blades should be sharp and safety features should not be removed in order to work faster.
NAHB has published the video below on saw safety. This would be a great training tool and you can find it on their website here.