Circular Saw Safety Warnings; Fig.1 - Makita SP6000 Instruction Manual

Circular saw safety warnings

Cutting procedures
1. DANGER: Keep hands away from cutting area
and the blade. Keep your second hand on auxil-
iary handle, or motor housing. If both hands are
holding the saw, they cannot be cut by the blade.
2. Do not reach underneath the workpiece. The guard
cannot protect you from the blade below the workpiece.
3. Adjust the cutting depth to the thickness of
the workpiece. Less than a full tooth of the blade
teeth should be visible below the workpiece.
4. Never hold the workpiece in your hands or
across your leg while cutting. Secure the
workpiece to a stable platform. It is important to
support the work properly to minimise body expo-
sure, blade binding, or loss of control.

► Fig.1

Hold the power tool by insulated gripping
5.
surfaces, when performing an operation where
the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or
its own cord. Contact with a "live" wire will also
make exposed metal parts of the power tool "live"
and could give the operator an electric shock.
6. When ripping, always use a rip fence or
straight edge guide. This improves the accuracy
of cut and reduces the chance of blade binding.
7. Always use blades with correct size and shape
(diamond versus round) of arbour holes. Blades
that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw
will run off-centre, causing loss of control.
8. Never use damaged or incorrect blade wash-
ers or bolt. The blade washers and bolt were
specially designed for your saw, for optimum
performance and safety of operation.
Kickback causes and related warnings
— kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched,
jammed or misaligned saw blade, causing an
uncontrolled saw to lift up and out of the workpiece
toward the operator;
— when the blade is pinched or jammed tightly by the
kerf closing down, the blade stalls and the motor reac-
tion drives the unit rapidly back toward the operator;
— if the blade becomes twisted or misaligned in the cut,
the teeth at the back edge of the blade can dig into
the top surface of the wood causing the blade to climb
out of the kerf and jump back toward the operator.
Kickback is the result of saw misuse and/or incorrect
operating procedures or conditions and can be avoided
by taking proper precautions as given below.
1. Maintain a firm grip with both hands on the saw
and position your arms to resist kickback forces.
Position your body to either side of the blade, but
not in line with the blade. Kickback could cause the
saw to jump backwards, but kickback forces can be con-
trolled by the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
When blade is binding, or when interrupting a
2.
cut for any reason, release the trigger and hold
the saw motionless in the material until the
blade comes to a complete stop. Never attempt
to remove the saw from the work or pull the
saw backward while the blade is in motion or
kickback may occur. Investigate and take correc-
tive actions to eliminate the cause of blade binding.
3. When restarting a saw in the workpiece, centre
the saw blade in the kerf so that the saw teeth
are not engaged into the material. If a saw blade
binds, it may walk up or kickback from the work-
piece as the saw is restarted.
4. Support large panels to minimise the risk of
blade pinching and kickback. Large panels tend
to sag under their own weight. Supports must be
placed under the panel on both sides, near the line
of cut and near the edge of the panel.
► Fig.2
► Fig.3
Do not use dull or damaged blades.
5.
Unsharpened or improperly set blades produce
narrow kerf causing excessive friction, blade
binding and kickback.
6. Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking levers
must be tight and secure before making the
cut. If blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it may
cause binding and kickback.
7. Use extra caution when sawing into existing
walls or other blind areas. The protruding blade
may cut objects that can cause kickback.
8. ALWAYS hold the tool firmly with both hands.
NEVER place your hand, leg or any part of your
body under the tool base or behind the saw,
especially when making cross-cuts. If kickback
occurs, the saw could easily jump backwards over
your hand, leading to serious personal injury.
► Fig.4
9. Never force the saw. Push the saw forward at a
speed so that the blade cuts without slowing.
Forcing the saw can cause uneven cuts, loss of
accuracy, and possible kickback.
Guard function
Check the guard for proper closing before
1.
each use. Do not operate the saw if the guard
does not move freely and enclose the blade
instantly. Never clamp or tie the guard so that
the blade is exposed. If the saw is accidentally
dropped, the guard may be bent. Check to make
sure that guard moves freely and does not touch
the blade or any other part, in all angles and
depths of cut.
Check the operation and condition of the
2.
guard return spring. If the guard and the spring
are not operating properly, they must be ser-
viced before use. The guard may operate slug-
gishly due to damaged parts, gummy deposits, or
a build-up of debris.
3. Assure that the base plate of the saw will not
shift while performing a "plunge cut" when the
blade bevel setting is not at 90 °. Blade shifting
sideways will cause binding and likely kick back.
4. Always observe that the guard is covering the
blade before placing the saw down on bench
or floor. An unprotected, coasting blade will cause
the saw to walk backwards, cutting whatever is in
its path. Be aware of the time it takes for the blade
to stop after switch is released.
7 ENGLISH