Miter Saw Safety Plan

Complete Guide
Mrs. Ideus

Introduction and Safety Reading/Video Materials

Part Identification
Demonstration Lesson Plan
Demonstration Completion Sheet
Final Safety Exam
 Introduction and General Safety Reading/ Video
Materials
Introduce these reading materials to teach students about the miter saw and its main
functions.

“The table saw and miter saw are two of the most widely used power tools in any
woodworking shop and two of the most demanding. Operators must have a thorough
understanding of these tools and all their procedures in addition to knowing how to set up
for safety.”

Miter Saw Introduction Video

Link to Miter Saw Introduction and Safety Video

Introduction to Miter Saw Video Worksheet

The Miter Saw Reading and Review
 Name:

Introduction to Miter Saw Video Worksheet

Directions: while watching the video, complete each sentence frame using the correct
term.

1) The miter saw is primarily used for cutting _________________.

2) When using the miter saw, it must be ______________ and secure.

3) Support the workpiece being cut by holding the piece and if possible, the ________.

4) The blade must be at ____________ before starting the cut.

5) Workpieces must be securely held or clamped to the ____________ and fence when
cutting.

6) There must not be any __________ between the piece being cut and the fence of the
saw.
 Introduction to Miter Saw Video Worksheet

Answer Key

Directions: while watching the video, complete each sentence frame using the correct
term.

1) The miter saw is primarily used for cutting wood.

2) When using the miter saw, it must be stable and secure.

3) Support the workpiece being cut by holding the piece and if possible, the fence.

4) The blade must be at full speed before starting the cut.

5) Workpieces must be securely held or clamped to the table and fence when cutting.

6) There must not be any gap/space between the piece being cut and the fence of the
saw.
 The Miter Saw Reading and Review
Introduction: The miter saw is used to make straight crosscuts and angled crosscuts in wood.

- The miter saw is the best tool to use to make virtually any crosscut in wood. It is far more
accurate (and safer) than most other tools.
- The miter saw also has the ability to crosscut a board at an angle. The blade can also tilt,
allowing you to crosscut a piece of wood with a bevel cut.
- Anytime you need to accurately cut across the grain of a straight piece of wood, the miter
saw is probably the tool you will want to use.
- The miter saw is also commonly referred to as the “chop saw”.

Safety Concerns: Be aware of following safety rules.

-The board you are cutting on the miter saw needs to be flat and straight. If it is not,
you cannot use the miter saw for the cut.

- Hold the material firmly against the fence when making a cut with this tool. If it is
not held against the fence, the board can be pulled by the spinning blade and you may
lose control of the cut.

- This saw moves along a track arm. You must make sure the saw is all the way at the
back of the track arm before turning on the saw. If it isn’t, it could be touching your
board when you turn it on. This could result in the saw jerking forward, the board jerking
backwards and an injury occurring.

-You must keep your hands and fingers, including your thumb, at least 6" away
from the path of the cut. If they are closer, they could get thrown towards the blade,
resulting in an injury.

-The board/material that you are cutting needs to be long enough so that you are able to
securely hold it against the fence while cutting it. For this to occur, and in order to keep
your hands a full 6" from the path of the cut, your board should be at least 8" long. Do
not cut anything less than 8” long.

-This saw will force its way toward you as you cut, so you must hold the saw securely
and control it in order to make a slow, controlled cut.
-Make sure there are no scraps of wood or piles of sawdust against the fence before
you place your board on the table. If there are, they will prevent your board from being
firmly against the fence where it needs to be.

-Do not try to rip (cut with the grain) a board on this saw. It is dangerous, and is not
designed for this purpose. It is for crosscuts only. The table saw is a much better tool to
use to rip a board.

-This saw moves not only back and forth along the track arm, but also moves up and
down. In order to safely make cuts with this saw, you should follow the sequence of
moves outlined in the certification sheet.

-Remember that your thumb sticks sideways out from your hand. Make sure it is at least
6" from the path of the blade. Having a thumb cut off is one the most common injuries
from this saw.
 Miter Saw Safety Review
Please complete each sentence frame using the correct word/term from the word bank.

6 inches flat fence

crosscut 8 inches dust/chips warped

1. Your board must be placed firmly against the ____________________ when making a cut on
the miter saw.

2. Never cut a board that is _______________________ with this saw. Your board must be flat
and straight.

3. Do not cut any boards which are less than ___________________ long on the miter saw.

4. Always keep your fingers at least _________________ from the path of the cut.

5. The miter saw used to make what type of cut? ____________________________

6. The board you are cutting should sit ______________________ on the table of the miter saw
as it is being cut.

7) All ______________________ must be cleared from the fence of the miter saw prior to
cutting a board or piece of material.
 Miter Saw Safety Review
Answer Key

Please complete each sentence frame using the correct word/term from the word bank.

6 inches flat fence

crosscut 8 inches dust/chips warped

1. Your board must be placed firmly against the fence when making a cut on the miter saw.

2. Never cut a board that is warped with this saw. Your board must be flat and straight.

3. Do not cut any boards which are less than 8 inches long on the miter saw.

4. Always keep your fingers at least 6 inches from the path of the cut.

5. The miter saw used to make what type of cut? crosscut

6. The board you are cutting should sit flat on the table of the miter saw as it is being cut.

7) All dust/chips must be cleared from the fence of the miter saw prior to cutting a board or
piece of material.
 ​ ARCHIVE

Miter Saw Design, Poor Safety

Training Lead to Student’s Severed
Thumb
A student in a junior-high-school shop class lost a thumb when the workpiece
he was cutting was pulled into the blade of a miter saw.

Lanny Berke

A junior-high shop-class student started up a compound miter saw to cut an angled corner for a wooden jewelry
box. As he pulled the saw down with one hand, the blade grabbed the wood he was cutting and pulled his other
hand in, severing his thumb.

The saw blade works with a miter box that lets the user adjust the cut angle relative to the fixed back fence
between –45 and 45°. A gap about 4-in. wide in the back fence accommodates the sweep of angles. The saw
blade has an integral guard that covers the blade except where it touches the workpiece. Apart from the
workpiece, the guarded saw, and the miter box, the student didn’t have any additional accessories for making
the cut.

Although the shop teacher had explained the saw’s operation to the class, he had not posted an operators’
manual or instruction sheet near the machine. He was helping other students and had his back turned to the saw
at the time of the accident.
 The saw’s safety materials and the teacher’s instructions indicated the workpiece should be secured firmly
against the saw’s fence, but neither explained that clamping the piece was safer than holding it with a free hand.
The saw didn’t have integral clamps, and the teacher did not place any clamps near the saw in his classroom.

An interview with the student after the accident revealed that he had not been aware that clamping the
workpiece to the fence was safer than holding it, or that the saw blade tends to catch and kick up smaller
workpieces.

Investigators felt that the classroom setup created an unsafe condition for the inexperienced students using the
saw. Although each student had to pass a safety quiz about each piece of equipment in the shop, students were
not required to demonstrate their proficiency in front of the teacher before being allowed to use the equipment
solo.

In addition, the gap in the saw’s back fence necessitated a large space between where the workpiece was secured
(whether held by hand or clamp) and where the saw blade touched the wood. This long moment arm made it
more likely that the saw’s power would violently pivot the wood.

The saw’s manufacturer publishes separate instructions on building supplemental fences that accommodate
specific cutting angles while permitting clamping closer to the cut. However, no such fence was available in the
wood shop. Current compound-miter-saw models have a back fence the operator can move to minimize the gap.
If adjusted properly, such a setup would have prevented the accident. MD

This month’s safety violation comes from the files of Lanny Berke, a registered professional engineer and
Certified Safety Professional involved in forensic engineering since 1972. Got a safety violation to share? Send
your images and explanations to leland.teschler@penton.com.
 Miter Saw Part Identification
Given a properly adjusted motorized miter saw, accessories, instruction and
demonstration of use, each student will be able to:

A. Identify the major parts of the motorized miter saw.

B. Understand the functions of each part
 Blade: Cuts the wood, MDF, plywood, or other materials
Blade guard: Protects the user from accidentally touching the blade but retracts
automatically when cutting
Trigger handle: Starts and stops the saw
Miter adjustment: Allows the user to change the angle of the blade
Bevel adjustment: Allows the user to change the tilt of the blade
Fence: Provides a 90-degree surface for a user to hold material against
Dust collection port: Collects sawdust as the user cuts
Slide rails/arm: Allows the saw to slide back and forth for longer cuts
 Name:

Blade:
Blade guard:
Trigger handle:
Miter adjustment:
Bevel adjustment:
Fence:
Dust collection port:
Slide rails/arm:
 Miter Saw Demonstration Lesson Plan
Make sure all safety procedures are followed. Each student should demonstrate
use of the saw and be certified one at a time. The saw should be assembled for use
prior to use
 Demonstration Completion: The Miter Saw

Student Name:_________________________________________________

Class: ________________________________________________________

Date: _________________________

I, Mrs. Ideus certifies that _____________________________ has successfully demonstrated the

6 steps of operating the Miter Saw.

Teacher Signature:_________________________________________________

I, _____________________________________ understand that I still need to pass the safety

exam before fully operating the Miter Saw. Failure to do so will result in suspension from the
class.

Student Signature:__________________________________________________

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demonstration Completion: The Miter Saw

Student Name:_________________________________________________

Class: ________________________________________________________

Date: _________________________

I, Mrs. Ideus certifies that _____________________________ has successfully demonstrated the

use of the Miter Saw.

Teacher Signature:_________________________________________________

I, _____________________________________ understand that I still need to pass the safety

exam before fully operating the Miter Saw. Failure to do so will result in suspension from the
class.

Student Signature:__________________________________________________
 Final Safety Exam
Students must pass the final safety exam with a 100% accuracy. Students are allowed 3
attempts to pass before required review of the material.
 Name:

Miter Saw Safety and Operation Test

Multiple Choice - Place the letter of the most correct answer on the answer sheet.

1. How must the saw blade be held after the cut is finished and before the blade
stops rotating?

a. Release it to the up position.

b. Hold it in the down position.
c. Raise 1" above the stock being cut.
d. Pull to the out position.

2. What special protection must be observed when using the motorized miter saw
outside?

a. Keep the saw covered.

b. Lubricate the saw more often than normal.
c. Unplug the saw after each cut.
d. Connect the saw to a ground fault circuit interrupter(GFCI).

3. How can the saw operator prevent the blade from binding when cutting warped,
bowed, or long stock?
a. Clamp the stock to the table.
b. Hold the saw firmly.
c. Push the saw through the material slowly.
d. Hold the saw down securely after the cut is made.

4. When is it safe to remove wood scraps from the cutting zone on the motorized
miter saw?
a. While the saw is positioned over material and ready for a cut to be made.
b. While the saw blade is clamped in the down position.
c. While the saw is off and the hand is not on the Off/On switch.
d. While the blade is up.
5. Where should the saw blade be positioned when cutting is completed and the
operator is leaving the work zone?

a. Up
b. Down
c. In its safest position
d. Either a or b

6. Hands or fingers never come closer than __________ to the rotating blade when
operating the motorized miter saw.

a. 2 inches
b. 4 inches
c. 6 inches
d. 8 inches

7. What personal protection equipment should be worn by a motorized miter saw

operator?

a. Hearing protection, eye protection and a dust mask

b. Eye protection
c. Eye protection and hearing protection
d. Hearing and eye protection, dust mask and gloves

8. The purpose of a trial cut before making the actual cut with the motorized miter
saw is to ____________ .
a. see if the material is positioned correctly.
b. see if the saw is cutting properly and is set accurately.
c. see how the material will cut.
d. test the sharpness of the saw blade.

9. Where should the saw blade be aligned when making a cut with the motorized
miter saw?
a. Left side of the marking line
b. Right side of the marking line
c. Waste side of the marking line
d. On the marking line
10. How should the saw blade be moved throughout the stock when making a cut
with a motorized miter saw that has a sliding arm?

a. Push down, then pull out

b. Push down
c. Pull out then push down
d. Pull out, push down, then push forward

11. The purpose of a "stop" when making multiple cuts with the motorized miter
saw is to ____________ .

a. hold the stock securely.

b. improve cut accuracy and reduce time required to make cuts.
c. reduce time required to make cuts.
d. get hands and fingers further away from the cutting zone.

12. If a kickback should occur when a cut is being made the saw operator should
____________ .

a. jump out of the way.

b. turn loose of the saw immediately.
c. raise the saw to the up position immediately.
d. hold the saw firmly in the down position and release the On/Off switch.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Score:_____________

I, ____________________________________certify that the student has

satisfactorily demonstrated the ability to operate the miter saw by passing the
above performance test and demonstration.

Teacher Signature:_____________________________________ Date:

Student Signature:_____________________________________ Date: