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Toolbox Talks

Masonry saws: guard on, water on, steady cut

Masonry saws: guard on, water on, steady cut

Hand and power tools 5 min 29 CFR 1926.702 · 29 CFR 1926.1153

Masonry, Concrete

Why it matters

A masonry saw spins a blade fast enough to throw chunks of block or a broken blade across the yard. Cutting dry fills the air with silica dust. The worst saw days start with a missing guard, a rushed cut, or a hand reaching in to clear a piece.

The talk

The block saw sits in the corner of the yard all day, and everybody uses it. That is part of the problem. Someone pulls the guard off because it gets in the way of a big cut. Someone pushes a block too fast and the blade binds. A diamond blade that ran too hot, or went on backwards, cracks and throws a segment. Or a hand goes in to knock a small piece off the table while the blade is still turning. These are fast injuries. There is no time to react.

A masonry saw has to have a half-round guard over the blade, and that guard has to be built to catch pieces if the blade breaks. Keep it on. For a stationary masonry saw, the silica rule gives one clear control. Use a saw with built-in water that keeps feeding the blade the whole cut, and run and maintain it the way the maker says. If the water runs out or the pump clogs, stop cutting. Dry cutting is not a shortcut. The dust you can see is not the worst of it. The fine dust you cannot see is what scars your lungs.

Before you change a blade or work on the saw, unplug it or shut off and lock out the power, and hang a Do Not Start tag so nobody fires it up. Check the blade for cracks, missing segments, and the arrow that shows which way it spins. Make sure the blade is rated for the saw's speed. Let the blade come up to speed before the cut, feed the block slowly, and keep your hands on the cart, away from the blade path. Wait until the blade stops before you clear scraps. Wear safety glasses, hearing protection, and gloves that fit. Keep the cord out of the water tray and off the walkway.

Key points

  1. The blade guard stays on for every cut.
  2. The guard is built to catch pieces if the blade breaks.
  3. Stationary saws cut wet, with water fed to the blade the whole time.
  4. No water, no cutting.
  5. Unplug or lock out the saw before changing the blade or fixing it.
  6. Check the blade for cracks, missing segments, and spin direction.
  7. Let the blade stop before you clear scraps.

Do this

  • Check the water flow before the first cut.
  • Feed the block slowly and let the blade do the work.
  • Use a blade rated for the saw's speed.
  • Wear glasses, hearing protection, and gloves that fit.
  • Keep the cord dry and out of the walkway.

Do not do this

  • Do not take off the guard for a big cut.
  • Do not cut dry because the pump quit.
  • Do not reach near the blade while it is turning.
  • Do not force a block when the blade starts to bind.
  • Do not change a blade with the saw plugged in.

Talk about it

  1. Who checks the saw and the water at the start of each day?
  2. What do we do when we need a cut the saw can't make with the guard on?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

Training aid only. This talk is not legal advice. It does not replace your company's safety program, a competent person, the equipment maker's instructions, or the OSHA standard itself.

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