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Table Saw Safety

Risk Assessment

A table saw risk assessment always includes a core set of recognized hazards and requirements. The discussion below describes each hazard, points out the related OSHA requirements, and makes suggestions for remediation.

While the discussion below addresses the most common hazards, a machinery risk assessments should also include an investigation of application-specific hazards.

Recognized Table Saw Hazards

Click on any of the hazards below to learn more about the hazard, how it causes injury, and any related industry standards or requirements.

Industrial machines coast and continue to spin long after they have been turned off. This coasting (or "freewheeling") can last for minutes and puts machine operators at risk as they continue to work around the still-operating machinery. Learn More.

Automatic and unintentional restarts happen when power is lost while a machine is operating. The machine then starts itself when power is restored. This is a specialized case of hazardous energy control but one that is not solved with typical lockout/tagout procedures. That is why OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, NEC, and CSA all explicitly require means to prevent
the unintentional restarting of machinery. Learn More.

A nip point hazard is created whenever two adjacent parts of machinery move towards each other and have the potential to capture or draw-in foreign objects like body parts, loose clothing, or hair. These hazards are especially problematic because this type of motion tends to grab and pull an operator towards the hazard, thereby increasing the severity of any incident. This is why OSHA has specific requirements for guarding pulleys, belts, and gears on table saws. Learn More.

Kickback occurs when the workpiece is unexpectedly thrown back toward the operator at high speed, typically because the material pinches the blade, contacts the rear of the blade, or is twisted out of alignment with the fence. Kickback happens in a fraction of a second and is a leading cause of table saw injuries; both from the projectile itself and from the operator's hand being pulled into the blade. OSHA requires a spreader (or modern riving knife) and non-kickback fingers/dogs on hand-fed ripsaws specifically to mitigate this hazard.

Contact with a table saw blade is the most common cause of injury on this tool, leading to lacerations, severed tendons, and amputation. Because the operator's hands feed material past an exposed blade, even small slips, distractions, or kickback events can result in contact. CPSC injury data attributes tens of thousands of blade-contact injuries to table saws every year in the U.S.

Flying chips, broken teeth, splinters, and fine wood dust regularly exit table saws at high speed. These can cause eye injury, respiratory irritation, and in the case of fine dust, long-term health risks and combustion hazards in poorly ventilated shops.

Table Saw Mitigations and Safeguards

The following safeguards are listed in order of effectiveness, from most effective to least effective, according to OSHA’s hierarchy of controls.

Engineering Controls

  • Install an interlocked motor brake system to stop the blade motion quickly after each operation [FED/OSHA 1910.212(a)(1)][1] .
  • Install accidental restart prevention. [FED/OSHA 1910.213(b)(3)[2], 1910.212(a)(1)[1] ; CAL/OSHA: §2530.43][3]
  • Install an ANSI-compliant emergency stop button. [CAL/OSHA §4001[4]; NFPA 79][5]
  • Provide a self-adjusting hood/blade guard that completely encloses the portion of the blade above the table and above the material being cut [OSHA 1910.213(c)(1)[2] for ripsaws; 1910.213(d)(1)[2] for crosscut].
  • Furnish a spreader or riving knife to prevent material from squeezing the blade [OSHA 1910.213(c)(2)][2].
  • Provide non-kickback fingers or dogs [OSHA 1910.213(c)(3)][2].
  • Guard the portion of the blade beneath the table with an exhaust hood or guard [OSHA 1910.213(a)(12)][2].
  • Fully enclose all pulley mechanisms and rotating components [OSHA 1910.219(d)][6].
  • (If dust is generated) Provide interlocked dust collectors or powered exhausts. [FED/OSHA 1910.94(b)(2)[7], CAL/OSHA §5152][8]

Administrative Controls

  • Use push sticks, push blocks, featherboards, and properly aligned fences to keep hands away from the blade.
  • Never perform freehand cuts – always use the fence or miter gauge, but never both simultaneously (a common kickback cause).
  • Stand to the side of the blade, never directly behind the workpiece.
  • Inspect blades before each use; remove cracked or damaged blades from service [OSHA 1910.213(s)(7)][2].
  • Verify the blade RPM rating meets or exceeds the saw’s operating speed.
  • Ensure the riving knife/spreader is aligned with and slightly thinner than the blade kerf.
  • Use approved lockout/tagout devices and procedures for all maintenance activities. [OSHA 1910.147[9], CAL/OSHA §3314][10]

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • Wear eye protection (safety glasses with side shields or a face shield) [FED/OSHA 1910.133(a)(1)[11], CAL/OSHA §3380][12]
  • Wear hearing protection where sound levels warrant.
  • Wear a dust mask or respirator when generating fine dust.
  • Avoid loose clothing, jewelry, gloves, and unsecured long hair near rotating blades and moving workpieces.

An All-In-One Solution

The MAKESafe Power Tool Brake is a plug-and-play braking solution that also includes anti-restart and emergency stop. All you have to do is plug it in, perform a calibration that takes less than five minutes, and you’ve added multiple machine safeguards to your table saw. See the product demonstration video below and/or device specifications for more information.

Power Tool Brake Demo
Wadkin Bursgreen AGS 10" Table Saw with MAKESafe Power Tool Brake
Choose your MAKESafe Power Tool Brake

More Information On Table Saw Safety

Scope: The information above is intended for standard hand-fed cabinet, contractor, and jobsite table saws. Additional requirements for self-feed circular saws, sliding table saws, and industrial panel saws are not included.

FAQs

What are the most common table saw hazards?

The most common table saw hazards are blade contact, kickback, coasting or freewheeling after shutdown, unintentional restarting after power loss, nip points around belts and pulleys, and flying debris or fine wood dust. Blade contact is the leading injury mode – CPSC injury data attributes tens of thousands of emergency room visits annually to table saw blade-contact injuries, ranging from lacerations to finger amputations. Kickback is a close second and frequently contributes to blade-contact injuries by pulling the operator’s hand into the blade. OSHA addresses each of these hazards through specific guarding, inspection, and control requirements under 29 CFR 1910.213[2].

Does OSHA require an emergency stop on table saws?

Yes. OSHA requires that most motor-driven machinery, including table saws, have a readily accessible means to quickly disconnect power in an emergency. ANSI and NFPA 79[5] also address emergency stop requirements, and CAL/OSHA §4001[4] specifically requires an emergency stop device for industrial machinery. An e-stop is especially important on table saws because the operator’s hands are routinely near the blade and a fast shutdown can be the difference between a near miss and a serious injury.

What is kickback and how do I prevent it?

Kickback occurs when the workpiece is unexpectedly thrown back toward the operator at high speed, usually because the material pinches the blade, contacts the rear of the blade, or is twisted out of alignment with the fence. It happens in a fraction of a second and is a leading cause of table saw injuries – both from the projectile itself and from the operator’s hand being dragged into the blade. OSHA requires hand-fed ripsaws to be equipped with a spreader (or modern riving knife) to keep the kerf open behind the blade [1910.213(c)(2)][2] and non-kickback fingers or dogs to resist the workpiece being thrown back [1910.213(c)(3)][2].

Is a riving knife required by OSHA?

OSHA 1910.213(c)(2)[2] requires hand-fed circular ripsaws to be furnished with a “spreader” to prevent material from squeezing the blade or being thrown back at the operator. The riving knife is the modern evolution of the spreader and meets this requirement – it sits directly behind the blade, rises and falls with it, and is slightly thinner than the blade’s kerf. The standard does allow temporary removal of the spreader for operations like grooving, dadoing, or rabbeting where it cannot be used, but it must be immediately replaced when the operation is complete.

Are gloves safe to wear when operating a table saw?

No. OSHA Publication 3157, A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards, is direct on this: gloves should not be worn when operating woodworking equipment due to the potential for getting caught in moving parts. Heavy leather or mesh gloves may seem like protection against cuts and abrasions, but they reduce dexterity which can increase the frequency of the mishaps they’re meant to prevent, and no glove will survive direct contact with a cutting edge anyway. The right approach is engineering and work-practice controls (blade guards, riving knives, anti-kickback fingers, push sticks, sharp blades) rather than PPE.

On a table saw specifically, the fabric can be caught by the blade teeth and pulled in, dragging the hand into the cutting path before the operator can react. This is one area where table saws differ from tasks like material handling where gloves protect against splinters when carrying lumber, but they should come off before the saw is switched on. The same caution applies to band saws and drill presses.

What’s the difference between a blade guard and a riving knife?

A blade guard and a riving knife serve different purposes and are both required by OSHA on hand-fed ripsaws. The blade guard (or “hood”) sits above the table and completely encloses the portion of the blade above the workpiece, protecting the operator from contact from above and shielding against flying chips and broken teeth [OSHA 1910.213(c)(1)][2]. The riving knife (the modern version of OSHA’s “spreader”) is a steel plate shaped to follow the blade, mounted directly behind the blade, and rises and falls with it – its job is to keep the kerf open as the wood passes through, preventing the material from pinching the blade and causing kickback [OSHA 1910.213(c)(2)][2]. In short, the blade guard prevents contact, while the riving knife prevents kickback. A compliant table saw needs both.

How do I stop a table saw from coasting after it’s turned off?

Table saw blades can spin for 30 seconds or more after power is removed, depending on blade mass, bearing condition, and saw size. The most effective solution is an electronic motor brake, which stops the blade in seconds after shutdown – significantly reducing the window in which a hand can contact a still-spinning blade while reaching for offcuts, changing setups, or clearing debris. Some industrial table saws include an OEM foot brake that brings the blade to a controlled stop, but the majority of contractor, cabinet, and jobsite saws ship without any braking system.

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