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Rough Mill Equipment > Radial Arm Saws
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 Radial saws are circular saws that cut downward, either with or
against the wood grain (rip or crosscut). Radial saws have
features that make them more versatile than table saws. The saw
arm can be raised and lowered and swung from side to side to
adjust the depth and horizontal angle of the cut. The blade can be
replaced with shaping cutters, disk, or drum sanders and other
accessories.
Operator Involvement
For crosscutting, the operator pushes the wood away from
himself or herself against a fence. For rip cuts, the blade is set parallel
to the fence, and the stock is pushed through. The saw blade
rotates upward toward the operator, who feeds the stock in the
opposite direction of the blade movement.
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Potential Hazard:
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Fig 1 - Radial arm saw
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Possible Solutions:
Engineering Controls
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Enclose the upper half of the saw (from the blade
down to the end of the saw arbor) with a fixed hood.
Guard the lower half with a self-adjusting, floating
guard that rises and falls and automatically adjusts
to the thickness of the stock [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1)].
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Make sure the saw has a return device. The front
end of the unit must be slightly higher than the
rear, so that the cutting head will return to its
original position when released by the operator.
This should also prevent the cutting head from
rolling or moving the arm due to gravity or
vibration [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(4)].
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Install an adjustable stop to limit forward
travel distance of the blade during repeat cuts [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(3)].
Work Practices
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Measure boards against a stop gauge or turn off
the saw if measuring by rule. Wait for the blade to
stop before moving materials or making measurements.
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Potential Hazard:
- Kickbacks - Stock caught in the blade or fed in
the wrong direction may be thrown
back at the operator.
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Fig 2 - Radial arm saw
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Possible Solutions:
Engineering Controls
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For ripping, install non-kickback fingers on both
sides of the saw blade [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(2)].
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Use a spreader in ripping operations to prevent
the cut in the wood from immediately closing and
binding the blade.
Work Practices
- During crosscutting, operate the saw on the side of table with the handle.
- Make sure that stock is in the correct direction. Post a warning label on the hood showing the
direction of saw rotation [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5)].
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Potential Hazard:
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Flying particles -
The cutting action of the blade may throw wood chips, splinters, and broken
saw teeth.
Possible Solution:
Work Practices
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During crosscutting, operate the saw on the side
of table with the handle.
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Fig 3 - Radial arm saw
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