This resource does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations and should not be used as or considered legal advice. Health and safety inspectors apply and enforce these laws based on the facts they find in the workplace.

Overview

Quick-cut saws are widely used for cutting concrete, masonry material and metal products. These saws may use either a composite resin abrasive wheel or a diamond blade.

Manufacturers’ operating manuals provide guidelines for safe use and maintenance. The manual provides the preliminary training guidelines for operators. Operator manuals should specify the type of protective clothing, devices and equipment to be worn.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) enforces the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, which set legal requirements for employers to ensure workers using powered equipment, like quick-cut saws, are properly trained, instructed and supervised to protect them from any hazards at the workplace.

Hazard summary

Kickback hazard

A kickback is the sudden upward movement of the saw that can occur if the blade gets jammed or stalls in the kickback zone. Another hazardous situation is when the blade is being pinched. Kickback can occur whenever the blade stops suddenly by binding, jamming or hitting a foreign object.

Saw blades build up tremendous kinetic energy during cutting. When they suddenly stop the energy must go somewhere, causing the blade to strike the operator or causing the operator to drop the saw on their legs or feet.

Precautions

  • Train operators to use quick-cut saws adequately and to wear the correct personal protective equipment, such as:
    • eye
    • hearing
    • respiratory protection
    • face shields
    • gloves
  • Use the saws according to the manufacturers’ operating manuals. The user of the saw should refer to the operating manuals for guidance on any hazards, such as kickback zone awareness.
  • Keep saws in good working condition.
  • Equip saws with proper blades or discs.
  • Use saws with all guards in place.
  • Secure material being cut to prevent it from moving during cutting.

Legal requirements

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and O. Reg. 213/91: Construction Projects contain general and specific provisions that employers and other workplace parties must follow on a project to ensure workers’ safety.

Occupational Health and Safety Act

Under section 25 of the OHSA, employers must ensure that:

  • they take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker
  • equipment, materials, and protective devices provided are maintained in good condition
  • they provide workers with information, instruction, and supervision on safe work procedures specific to the type of work the workers will perform
  • employees use the equipment, materials and protective devices provided as prescribed
  • a worker, or a person in authority over a worker, is acquainted with any hazards in their work and in the handling and use of any equipment

Construction projects regulation

Under O. Reg. 213/91, workplace parties have responsibilities to ensure that machinery, tools, and equipment are:

  • maintained in a condition so that they do not endanger workers
  • inspected regularly as specified in the operating manual or if not specified, as often as necessary to ensure that it does not endanger a worker
  • operated by a competent worker, or under the instruction and supervision of a competent person while being trained

Section 93 requires equipment to be maintained in a condition that does not endanger a worker and that it not be used while it is defective or hazardous. This section also requires that equipment be used in accordance with any operating manuals issued by the manufacturers.

Section 109 requires that saws be guarded so that they will not endanger a worker.

Under section 96, only workers who are competent to operate powered equipment may do so. However, a worker may operate a powered tool while they are being trained, but only while being instructed and supervised by a competent person.

Resources

Review the following resources regarding quick-cut saws from the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association.