Miter Saw Safety for New Workers
Miter saw safety is very important on the jobsite – especially for new workers.
Miter saws – or chop saws, as the construction industry often calls them – are powerful tools that allow workers to make miter, bevel, compound and cross cuts.
But, as you might imagine, these power tools can result in some major injuries. Unless users exercise proper care, they (or someone else on the jobsite) could end up seriously hurting themselves.
Risks Associated with Miter Saws
Workers can experience eye injuries, damage to their hearing and serious cuts on their hands due to improper technique.
A blade pinching mid-cut is the most common way for a worker to get injured while using a chop saw. This can cause it to bind and kick back. This risk is amplified when using a circular saw on a makeshift surface or, worse, when cutting on the ground.
Why Miter Saw Safety Training Is Critical
Teaching new workers chop saw safety will help keep everyone on the jobsite out of harms way. In addition it will lead to greater job efficiency and eventual clean up.
Reducing the risk of physical injury will demonstrate your commitment to your crew. It will also reduce your workers’ compensation claims and, hopefully, help you avoid any legal liability that could result from an on-the-job injury.
You’ll project a positive, professional image when your crew knows – and uses – best practices for jobsite safety.
Provide Safety Training & the Proper Equipment
The first part of your Miter Saw Safety training should emphasize the protective gear your crew needs. Goggles, ear protection, masks, steel-toed work boots and hardhats are a few must-haves. Make those rules clear and enforce them consistently.
Next, introduce your tools to the new crew members and instruct them in the proper way to operate the equipment. A good place to start is by demonstrating how to mount the miter saw firmly on the stand or table.
If you’re demonstrating this using a c-clamp and a piece of plywood or, much worse, if you’re simply plopping the saw on the ground, you’re begging for a safety nightmare. These slipshod methods increase the chance of injury substantially, not only from binding and kickback but from the stress and strain of bending and twisting all day.
Teach your new employees chop saw safety and demonstrate your commitment to their well-being by using the Cut Hub portable jobsite workstation. Designed to firmly and safely mount your miter saw, Cut Hub provides a strong, stable surface for making all your cuts. The sliding brake stop eliminates the need for a measuring tape, pencil or square, and ensures perfection in every cut. This revolutionary portable workstation is light enough for one person to transport and set up, but strong enough to handle any job.
With Cut Hub, you can do more in less time while reducing waste and improving the safety of your crew. And it’s so simple that even a new crew member can be producing like a journeyman in under an hour.
Learn more about Cut Hub today and you’ll be convinced that this is the best way to ensure miter saw safety, accuracy and efficiency on your jobsites.