Table saws are essential for the woodworking industry. If a table saw is not used properly, it will gain many problems. Before you use the table, saw you should know how to use it the proper way?. A table saw can damage mostly the fingers and hands of the body. In this guide, you can find all in detail about the dangerous of table saws. So let’s see, are table saws dangerous?
Generally, table saws are very dangerous when it uses carelessly. It will cause many injuries such as lacerations, fractures, amputations, and avulsions. Table saw hazards can avoid by using proper safety equipment and AIM-based technology will stop the saw blade suddenly it touches the human body.
When we consider the dangerous of the table saw depends on the user experience and the tools that we use for safety, There are many tools that we can use for safety. So let’s see how these things affect the dangerous of the table saw.
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Why Does Table Saw Injuries Are Dangerous?
Table saws are really useful. But we should use it carefully because of the saw blade. A saw blade is a sharp tool that can cut wood or metal easily. The table saw is with teeth or a constant rim. So it can damage the fingers or hands easily. When we consider the injuries of the table saws, we can categorize into main categories.
Types of Injuries
Short Term Injuries
Short-term injuries happen quickly, and most of those are not deadly. It will damage the body. Most are amputations, and some are lacerations. Sometimes parts (fingers) can be separated badly.
Long Term Injuries
Long-term injuries can be identified as a result of dust. When the sawdust inhales to the lungs, cancers can occur. The result of these kinds of injuries can’t be seen quickly. It will take years to appear.
Read More About – Wood Dust – Health Effects
In 2015, there were an estimated 33,400 table saw emergency department-treated injuries.
- An estimated 18,100 laceration injuries (58.8 percent),
- an estimated 5,900 fractures (19.0 percent),
- an estimated 4,700 amputations (15.2 percent), and
- an estimated 2,000 avulsions (6.5 percent)
Due to the table saws, thousands of people are injured in a year. Check the below table for more info.
| Year | Amputations | Hospitalization | Finger/Hand Injuries |
| 2010 | 3,500 | 2,800 | 29,800 |
| 2011 | 3,900 | 2,900 | 29,400 |
| 2012 | 4,100 | 2,900 | 29,100 |
| 2013 | 3,400 | 3,000 | 29,200 |
| 2014 | 4,000 | 3,100 | 29,400 |
| 2015 | 4,700 | 3,800 | 30,500 |
| 2016 | 4,000 | 3,500 | 29,600 |
| 2017 | 4,800 | 2,800 | 30,400 |
| 2018 | 4,400 | 3,100 | 30,600 |
Hazard Types
01. Machine Kickback
When the blade catches the material, it is cut and kickbacks towards the operator.
02. Slips and Misuse
This happens when the operator hands or stock is getting slipped toward the blade while in the cutting operation
03. Flying Particles
When the splinters or chips are thrown towards the eyes, this can be happen
04. Machine Maintenence
When the table saw is maintenance, electric shocks or any sudden operations can occur when it removes, fixing the blade.
05. Other Injuries
When the operator was hit by the table saw when he walk near to the table saw other injuries can occur. And we can add the long-term injuries such as lungs cancers etc.
Safety Tools For Table Saw to Prevent Dangerous
Table saw consist of many tools and many types in order to prevent injuries. Those developed years ago, and now everything can be used to prevent many injuries. When we consider the cuts of the table saw, crosscuts and RIP cuts are the main cuts that we use, and those are with a high probability of injury. Because the blade is above the workpiece. So let’s see what the safety devices used in the table saw, and their tasks are?
Antikickback Device
The antikickback device will prevent the kickback of the workpiece when we feed the workpiece until it is finished to cut. When the workpiece cutting is over, and then it can turn over due to pushing the workpiece. When the workpiece is turned towards to the saw blade it will kick and throw away due to saw blade rotation to the user side. This is really dangerous.
A pair of spring-loaded pieces of metal with barbed teeth mounted on a splitter or riving knife, that allows passage of the workpiece in one direction but dig into it if it begins to move back toward the operator.
Splitter
A flat piece of metal. It is vertically aligned directly behind the saw blade. The splitter does not move up and down. When you cut a dado or rabbet cut, you have to remove the splitter.
Reviving Knife
This is the same as the splitter. but it is a curved metal tooth. it can be moved vertically upward and downward. This is close r to the blade and attaches to the arbor assembly. When you cut a dado or rabbet cut, you do not need to remove the reviving knife.
Blade Guard
Blade guard provides the physical barrier between the blade and the user. It will block the chips from moving to the face or eyes. But it will not show the cutting path clearly. You have to watch it carefully. Blade guards are two types traditional blade guards and modular blade guards are them. You must use them for safety.
Dust Remover
Cutting dust affects the user in many ways. Most of the problems are long-term. It can cause lungs cancers. So dust removing equipment is really important in the table saw.
Pushing Sticks
Pushing sticks are really useful to push the workpiece to the saws. You can create a push stick DIY. As well as you can buy it. But remember when you buy that,
Personal Safety Equipments
Personal safety equipment is very important for the personal user. We can wear goggles, aprons, gloves shoes for personal usage.
When we consider the gloves that can make accidents and also prevent accidents. When using gloves, it can prevent small cuttings if any blade touches. Some times blade can pull the hand if there is any small contact with the blade. So we must know what should we need to wear and what not. Be careful when you wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts when you work.
10 Tips to Reduce the Dangerous of the Table Saw
01. Plan each cutting process and estimate the possible hazards of the process. If there is a high hardness level, try another way.
02. Keep the blade height at a level that exceeds the depth of the wood you are cutting.
03. Always wear safety instruments. Do not wear loose gloves or long-sleeved shirts with open hands.
04. Never become complacent (think to not follow safety rules because of the last workpiece.
05. Do not hurry up the process. First safety and then speed the process.
06. Do not work when you are tired. It will block your mind and move over the safety.
07. Never overperform the task. (Do not think this is simple, and I have done this more than 100 times)
08. Do not stand behind the workpiece. Because kickback exactly happens right behind the saw blade. So do not stand behind the saw blade.
09. Consider every day is a new day. You have to learn something and work carefully.
10 . Do not work with any alcohol or drugs. It will forget all your rules, and you will try to work like a pro. So do not use any alcohol or drugs when you work in the table saw.
Minimize Table Saw Hazard Using AIM Technology
AIM technology stands for Active Injury Mitigation (AIM). This system is actively mitigated or prevents injury of a human body part resulting from contact with a rotating saw blade. The device can detect the human touch and then performs an action that mitigates the severity of the injury is considered to be an AIM system. This is actively engaging to reduce the injuries.
Conclusion
Table saws are really dangerous if it used carelessly. So first, you had better wear the personal equipment and then add some safety equipment to the table saw. After everything is fixed, pay attention to the above 10 tips. So you can cut success and perfect wood cutting without any problem.
Additionally, there are table saws with AIM technology. It will stop the saw blade as soon as possible when the human body part touches the blade. It is a great technology to avoid the dangerous of the table saw.
Read More About – 12 Most Reasons for Table Saw Burn Wood? – [With Solutions]
