Home Improvement Information

Protecting Yourself from Miter Saw Hazards


A miter saw, also known as a "chop saw," is a circular saw that is mounted on a frame. It is designed to be portable and to make very accurate angled cuts between 45 and 90 degrees. The compound miter saw can cut at an additional angle in order to cut bevels. Miter saws are predominately used in cutting wood but can also be used to cut plastics and light metals. Like any power tool, it is important to follow some safety rules to protect yourself. The following are some guidelines to keep yourself safe while operating you miter saw:

1) Wear protective gear. Make sure to protect your eyes with safety goggles or safety glasses that currently meet the national safety standard. Wear a full protective face mask when needed or dust mask for dusty projects (some of the dust from projects can contain harmful chemicals). It is also recommended to wear hearing protection (such as ear plugs) with extended use of a miter saw.

2) Avoid wearing any loose clothing. Do not wear anything that could possibly get in the way or fall into the path of the saw. This would include loose clothing, jewelry such as earrings, neck ties, gloves, or any dangling object. Remember to tie back long hair.

3) Keep miter saw clean. The miter saw and area around the miter saw should always be clean and free from debris. Also, inspect material to make sure it is free from nails and any other foreign objects before cutting.

4) Maintain a sharp miter saw blade. Always use a miter saw blade that is sharp and undamaged.

5) Do not over reach. Keep a secure footing and do not over reach. Never attempt to reach around the miter saw while it is on.

6) Use miter saw safety guards. The miter saw should come with an upper hood that covers the top half of the blade along with a lower blade guard. Do not operate machinery without these guards.

7) Make sure that blade is securely fastened. Loose blades have the ability to fall off. Take care to make sure that the miter saw blade is securely fastened and aligned correctly. To do this, unplug the miter saw and carefully spin blade with finger. The blade should not hit any of the other components of the saw.

8) Keep work material secure. Do not attempt to cut the material freehand. Always make sure that the material being cut is secure against the fence of the miter saw. If the work piece is unstable, then use a clamp to hold it in place. Also, remember to check that the miter saw is on a smooth and stable surface before beginning a project.

9) Leave miter saw unplugged and in the off position when not in use. Following this guideline will protect you from any accidents that could occur when turning on your miter saw. Never leave a power tool on while unattended. It is also advisable to wait until your miter saw is completely warmed up and come up to speed before starting a project.

10) Be Alert! Always be alert when operating a power tool. If the work becomes monotonous, take a short break. Accidents are prone to happen to those who are not paying attention.

Be sure to follow these miter saw safety tips in order to keep yourself safe. Remember that these are only general guidelines and that you should stop operation of a miter saw at any sign of abnormality. Always be cautious while operating a miter saw in order to avoid any possible accidents.

Kaitlin Carruth is a client account specialist with 10xMarketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information about miter saws, please visit Tool America.


MORE RESOURCES:

Go ask Alice: Home improvement
Wicked Local Marion, MA - 4 hours ago
Seven trips back and forth to both home improvement stores, and then just one more to get an extra bag of drainage stones, and the walkway is done. ...


Tips, tricks and questions on home improvement
The Olympian, WA - 6 hours ago
By ALAN J. HEAVENS | The Philadelphia Inquirer • Published July 24, 2008 Summertime chimney odors: "We have had this problem for years. ...


THE GOODS ON HOME IMPROVEMENT: Wall adhesive makes for a sticky ...
Lancaster Newspapers, PA - 6 hours ago
By ALAN J. HEAVENS / McClatchy Tribune Q. I recently removed wallpaper from plaster and lath walls, and although I thought I removed all the glue and ...


AsCleanedOnTv.com Now Offering Home Improvement Contractor Search Help
WebWire (press release), GA - Jul 21, 2008
AsCleanedOnTv.com, is happy to announce that they are now offering home improvement and home repair contractor search help. With this new service, ...


Video: DIY Network's Groundbreaking Interactive Home Building ...
SunHerald.com, MS - 7 hours ago
Expert host Ahmed Hassan and 11 experts from DIY's most popular home improvement shows including Amy Matthews, Jason Cameron, Chris Grundy, Dean Marsico and ...


Growth of Home Improvement Market Offers Business Opportunity for ...
PR NewsChannel (press release), FL - Jul 21, 2008
The foreclosure crisis and slow housing market has driven the growth of the home improvement industry. Forecasts by the Home Improvement Research Institute ...


Discover something new at the 2008 Vaal HOMEMAKERSexpo
Bizcommunity.com, South Africa - 9 hours ago
With over 175 market leading home improvement exhibitors on 3 000 m², the Vaal HOMEMAKERSexpo will captivate homeowners' imagination. ...


BG Group, Imperial Tobacco, JJB, easyJet, Kingfisher: News round ...
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 14 hours ago
Kingfisher, Europe's largest home-improvement retailer, said sales at its B&Q unit rose in the last 10 weeks as improved UK weather conditions encouraged ...


BBC News

Kingfisher Advances as Mild Weather Lifts B&Q Sales (Update2)
Bloomberg - 5 hours ago
By Louisa Nesbitt July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Kingfisher Plc, Europe's largest home-improvement retailer, gained 6.5 percent in London trading after saying sales ...
Kingfisher soars in warmer weather guardian.co.uk
B&Q owner reports sales dip Scotsman
Kingfisher shares soar as B&Q sales surprise Telegraph.co.uk
Forbes - MarketWatch
all 55 news articles


Home Improvement Resource Heads West
MarketWatch - Jul 9, 2008
This comes just a few months after a rapid growth of the site's already great amount of home improvement information. The partners at Fix The Home realize ...

Home-Improvement - Google News

home | site map
© 2006