Table saw missing riving knife/blade guard (2024)

FAQs

Is riving knife needed on table saw? ›

Riving knives are also fitted to some hand-held electrical circular and powered miter or cross-cut saws (known generically as "chop saws"). As of 2008, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) requires that all new table saw designs include a riving knife.

Leave safety devices in place and intact on the saw. Never remove, modify, or defeat guards. Keep your free hand away from the blade (Figure 38-1). Whenever possible, select the lightest tool or the tool with the least vibration.

With the guard removed, certain types of injuries become more likely, such as: While reaching behind the blade to steady a workpiece with his left hand, a kickback throws the workpiece towards the operator, drawing his hand backwards, along with the workpiece, through the unguarded blade.

Guards must never be removed when a tool is in use. Guarding is just one safety measure to be taken. Other measures should be combined where needed such as personal protective equipment or other protective barriers. Guards should never be altered such as being cut or pinned back.

Riving knives do an incredible job of preventing kickback. For one, they keep your stock from drifting over the back of the blade and getting lifted by the teeth.

But there are times when you simply must remove the riving knife, or when it is inappropriate to use one. A good example is when using a stacked dado blade to cut a dado or a rabbet. Because this type of blade does not create a through cut, a riving knife would serve no purpose.

Belt-driven saws with exposed belts and pulleys should be guarded with a sturdy cover over the belts and pulleys. OSHA has specific rules for table saw guarding that are described in 29CFR1910. 213 and 1926.304. In general, blade guards are required on table saws whenever ripping or cross-cutting is done.

Appropriate guards must be in place at all times. Never remove the guard. Ask one of the shop personnel for help if you think the guard is in the way. If the piece of material you are cutting is large, get someone to assist in tailing-off for you.

The blade guard is designed to protect the operator from accidental contact with the blade. They also direct sawdust and small particulate away from the operators face. There are two types of blade guards. The first type attaches to the saw trunnion (the movable part of the saw below the main table).

Most new table saws are supplied with blade guards designed to prevent the operator's hands from accidentally making contact with the blade. But in many cases, blade guards are missing or have been removed (for example, when a table saw is purchased second-hand). This puts operators at risk of serious injury.

Should you remove the guard from a power saw? ›

Never defeat the guard to expose the blade. For example, tying back or removing the guard. Before starting a circular saw, be sure the power cord and extension cord are out of the blade path and are sufficiently long to freely complete the cut.

The cure for kickback

Use the guard! The best cure for kickback is to deny the wood access to the back of the blade. A splitter, especially a riving knife, is by far the best protection you can give yourself. Double-check all your setups and plan your cuts carefully.