One of the most dangerous parts of the saw is the blade, although, as dangerous as it is, it is the most needed part, since it does all the (or most) of the work. To use this heavy tool, proper procedures must be put into consideration to ensure the safety of the operator.
There’s a wide range of saw choices: early entry saws for cutting flat-work, wall saws or wire saws for big cuts, hand-held cut-off saws, and finally, chain saws. Saws are powered by hydraulics or pneumatic, or even with electric motors and gas engines. We have typical cut-off saws with ring saws, chain saws, a disc blade and abrasive blades or diamond. All of these tools, if not properly handled, could be dangerous to you, as by nature they are. Since these tools are designed to cut through concrete, they can easily slice through flesh without any hindrance. Hence, safety is one of the most vital things you need to put into consideration before picking up a saw.
Every saw comes with a list of general power tool safety rules that should (must!) be followed, either it is making sure electrical tools are unplugged before changing blades, or just using the machine for its pre-intended purpose instead of something other than that.
The blade code consists of three letter: X-X-X
First Position: This shows wet-use only (W) or wet or dry use (D).
Second Position: This shows the application, such as cured concrete (C), block/brick (B) or green concrete (G).
Third Position: This indicates the type of saw used, saws such as the handheld saw (H), stationary saw (S), or the wall saw (W).
For saws, the most crucial issues include making sure guards are properly maintained and positioned, that the right blade is being used and that the blades are straight and tight. For dry cutting concrete or masonry, silica dust becomes a most important concern.
Cutting through concrete with a blade that has an abrasive surface or if you cut with a diamond blade, this will generate dust, some of its silica dust that is fine enough that can be breathed deeply into the lungs. Inhaling fine crystalline silica can lead to Silicosis, which is an incurable lung disease that results in lung fibrosis. It is estimated that nearly 300 construction workers die annually from this disease, this is according to NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). People who spend years in an environment with free silica dust in the air are far more likely to suffer from silicosis unless something is done to prevent them from breathing it.
The blade on a saw could be said to be the most dangerous part. Diamond blades are mostly always used for concrete cutting today because they cut so much better than the abrasive blades. The most crucial place to start when trying to purchase any blade is that you are using the right blade for what it was originally intended for. SMI and CSDA (Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association) have together developed a blade application code that diamond blades manufacturers have to follow. You should ensure that a wet blade (W) is used with cooling water; dry blades (D) can be used with or without water, although, using water on a saw that was intended to be dry can cause electrocution with electric saws.
Before you start cutting with a blade, look carefully that it’s not damaged. If a blade is damaged, it can break during cutting, ejecting hot steel pieces, this is dangerous. Check for missing segments on the blade, look for cracks and make sure that they don’t appear to be overheated. One way to tell if a blade is cracked is to bang it against a piece of wood to see if there’s a ring. Check the blade regularly so you’re sure it is in good condition.