For employees who run table saws, radial saws, bandsaws, jointers, shapers and sanders: power controls and restart protection, saw hoods, spreaders and nonkickback devices, radial saw setup, jointer and bandsaw guards, push sticks and keeping blades in good condition.
Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.213 · about 4 min read
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Table saw hoods, spreaders and nonkickback fingers
On hand-fed circular ripsaws:
A hood completely encloses the saw above the table and above the material, adjusts to the stock thickness and stays in contact with it.
A spreader keeps the material from squeezing the saw or being thrown back at the operator. It is not required for grooving, dadoing or rabbeting, but must be replaced immediately when those operations are done.
Nonkickback fingers or dogs oppose the saw's tendency to throw material back toward the operator.
Circular crosscut table saws need the same kind of hood. Where the saw below or behind the table could be contacted, it is covered by an exhaust hood or guard.
The upper hood encloses the upper blade down to the end of the arbor, and the lower blade sides are guarded by a device that adjusts to the stock.
An adjustable stop keeps the blade from traveling forward beyond what is needed in repetitive cuts.
The unit is installed with the front slightly higher than the rear so the cutting head returns gently to the start position when released.
Radial saws used for ripping have nonkickback fingers on both sides. Ripping and ploughing are done against the direction the saw turns, and the rotation direction is marked on the hood, with a warning label not to rip or plough from the rear.
Bandsaws: all of the blade is enclosed or guarded except the working portion between the bottom of the guide rolls and the table, and the wheels are fully encased.
Jointers (hand-fed, horizontal head): an automatic guard covers the cutting head on the working side of the fence and keeps hands off the knives; another guard covers the head behind the fence. Rear table clearance to the cutter head is not more than 1/8 inch, and knives do not protrude more than 1/8 inch.
Shapers: cutting heads are enclosed with a cage or adjustable guard. A leather or similar warning device on the spindle is not acceptable.
Belt sanders have guards at each nip point where the belt runs onto a pulley.
Fact-checked against the regulation text on October 09, 2026. This certificate records completion of awareness training based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.213. It is not an OSHA card or license. 29 CFR 1910.213 has no training requirement of its own. Your employer must still guard each machine as 1910.213 requires, provide a power control on each machine and a positive means to make electric machine controls inoperative during repairs or adjustments, provide combs (featherboards) or suitable jigs and push sticks or push blocks at the workplace, and remove dull, badly set, improperly filed, improperly tensioned or cracked saws from service.
This guide explains the rule in plain words. Always read the regulation itself and your employer's site-specific procedures.