Cutting through timber is a lot easier and less labour intensive with a circular saw. The super-sharp blades in this clever DIY tool can rotate up to 85 times a second – and when you’re working with fast-moving blades, you need to be extra vigilant.
Circular Saw Safety
A circular saw is perhaps one of the most dangerous power tools there is, so it’s vital that you not only concentrate fully on the task at hand when using them, but also make sure that you’ve taken care of all the necessary safety precautions.
Safety First
- Buy your circular saw from a reputable dealer, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
- It’s important to register a new circular saw with the manufacturer so that you can be contacted if a safety notice or recall is required. It also makes it easier for you to return a faulty product or order a repair. To register any of your appliances, regardless of age, visit our Product Registration page.
- Use our free online checker to see if you have any recalled electrical items.
- Check that your appliance has a UK plug; if it doesn’t, don’t try to use a UK travel adaptor. Get in touch with the retailer and ask for their advice.
- Do regular checks of the plug and socket for burn marks, sounds of ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling) or if it feels too hot to touch. If you have fuses blowing or circuit-breakers tripping then contact a registered electrician to investigate.
- Any socket you plan to use to plug in a circular saw should have RCD (residual current device) Protection. An RCD is a life-saving device that protects against dangerous electric shock and reduces the risk of electrical fires. If you don’t have RCD protection in your fuse box for your sockets, consider using an RCD plug to protect you and your property from serious appliance faults.
- Before you start work, ensure that the cord is long enough to easily reach the area you’re working in – if it isn’t, plug the circular saw into a fully-unwound extension lead to extend your reach.
Using your circular saw safely
- You should wear goggle sand a dust mask when operating a circular saw, and keep lose clothing and hair well out of the way.
- Before you get started, and with the circular saw unplugged, check that the retracting guard blade is able to move freely back and forth.
- Ensure that the material or surface you’re going to cut into is secure and properly supported, and that the excess wood (or ‘waste side’) will be able to fall away once cut.
- Always select the right blade for the job – rip-cut, cross-cut and combination blades are amongst the most popular types – and ensure that the blade has a higher RPM rating than your circular saw can produce.
- Make sure you keep the circular saw cord out of the cutting patch.
- Offset kickback by staying slightly to one side of the saw.
- If you make a mistake when cutting, don’t try to force the blade in line; turn it off, let it stop spinning, and then start again from the markings.