Optional Information
Name of school: 
Date of inspection:
Career-Technical program/course/room:
Signature of inspector: 

 
Woodworking Machinery
Saws
Self-Inspection Checklist

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.
  Please Circle
Hand-Fed Ripsaws
  1. Is each circular hand-fed ripsaw guarded by a

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is the hood and mounting arranged so that the

    2. 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. 
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is each hand-fed circular ripsaw furnished with a

    2. spreader to prevent material from squeezing the
    saw or being thrown back on the operator?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(2)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is each hand-fed circular ripsaw provided with

    2. nonkickback 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Hand-Fed Crosscut Table Saws
  1. Is each hand-fed crosscut table saw guarded by

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ??
  1. Is the hood and mounting arranged so that

    2. 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.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Circular Resaws
  1. Is each circular resaw guarded by a hood or shield of

    2. metal above the saw?
    [29 CFR 1910.213 (e)(1)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Does each circular resaw have a spreader fastened

    2. securely behind the saw?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(e)(2)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Self-Feed Circular Saws
  1. Are feed rolls and saws protected by a hood or guard

    2. 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.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is each self-feed circular ripsaw provided with sectional

    2. nonkickback fingers for the full width of the feed rolls?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(f)(2)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Swing and Sliding Cutoff Saws
  1. Are swing and sliding cutoff saws provided with a

    2. 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.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are swing and sliding cutoff saws equipped with an

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are swing and sliding cutoff saws equipped with

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are inverted swing cutoff saws provided with a hood

    2. 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.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Radial Saws
  1. Does the upper hood completely enclose the upper

    2. portion of the blade down to the point that will include
    the end of the saw arbor?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are the sides of the lower exposed portion of the

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are radial saws used for ripping provided with

    2. nonkickback 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is an adjustable stop provided that prevents the

    2. forward travel of the blade beyond the position
    necessary to complete the cut in repetitive
    operations?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(3)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is the installation designed so that the front end of

    2. 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.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is the direction of saw rotation conspicuously marked

    2. on the hood?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is a permanent label (at least -1/2 inches by 3/4 inch)

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Bandsaws and Band Resaws
  1. Are all portions of the band saws and band resaws

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Does a self-adjusting guard raise and lower the guide?

    2. [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is each band saw machine provided with a tension

    2. control device to indicate the proper tension for
    the standard saws used on the machine?
    [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(2)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are feed rolls of band resaws protected with a

    2. 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)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 

Comments/Corrective action:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Back to the previous page           Back to Contents

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health