Free checklist · Shop & tools
Table saw safety and inspection checklist (free, printable)
Before each use, check that the blade guard, riving knife or splitter and anti-kickback pawls are fitted and working, the fence locks parallel to the blade, the blade is sharp, clean and uncracked with no wobble, push sticks are at the saw, and the switch stops the saw from where you stand. A saw that fails any of these doesn't run.
- How often
- Before each use
- The rule
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.213(s)
- Items
- 20 checks
- Takes
- About 5 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Table saw safety and inspection checklist
Before each use
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saw unplugged: blade and table | |||
| Power isolatedUnplugged or disconnect locked off before hands go near the blade. | |||
| Blade conditionSharp and free of pitch; no cracks, missing or chipped teeth. | |||
| Blade mountingRight blade for the cut; arbor nut tight; no wobble or arbor play. | |||
| Throat plateIn place, flush with the table, slot not chewed out. | |||
| Table and extensionsClean and flat; wings tight; nothing stored on the table. | |||
| Guarding | |||
| Blade guard (hood)Fitted; rises with the stock and drops back; clear cover intact. | |||
| Riving knife or splitterFitted, straight, in line with the blade and close behind it. | |||
| Anti-kickback pawlsTeeth sharp; pawls drop freely and grip when stock is pulled back. | |||
| Guard under the tableBlade below the table enclosed by the cabinet or dust hood. | |||
| Belt and motor coversOn and secure; no exposed belt or pulley. | |||
| Fence, miter gauge and push sticks | |||
| Rip fenceLocks firmly and stays parallel to the blade; never closer at the back. | |||
| Miter gaugeSlides freely in the slot; angle stop accurate and locks. | |||
| Push sticks and push blocksAt the saw in sizes for the work; not cut up or splintered. | |||
| FeatherboardsOn hand for dadoing and rabbeting, when the guard can't be used. | |||
| Controls and test run | |||
| On/off switchReachable from the operating position; off is quick to hit. | |||
| No-restart switchSaw stays off if power drops and comes back. | |||
| Flesh-sensing brakeStatus light shows ready; right cartridge for the blade fitted. | |||
| Dust collectionHose connected and intact; collector on; bag or bin not full. | |||
| Test runSpins up smoothly; no vibration or noise; slows and stops normally. | |||
| Floor around the sawClear of offcuts and dust; not slippery; good light. | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on a table saw, item by item
Saw unplugged: blade and table
- Power isolated — Unplugged or disconnect locked off before hands go near the blade.
- Blade condition — Sharp and free of pitch; no cracks, missing or chipped teeth.
- Blade mounting — Right blade for the cut; arbor nut tight; no wobble or arbor play.
- Throat plate — In place, flush with the table, slot not chewed out.
- Table and extensions — Clean and flat; wings tight; nothing stored on the table.
Guarding
- Blade guard (hood) — Fitted; rises with the stock and drops back; clear cover intact.
- Riving knife or splitter — Fitted, straight, in line with the blade and close behind it.
- Anti-kickback pawls — Teeth sharp; pawls drop freely and grip when stock is pulled back.
- Guard under the table — Blade below the table enclosed by the cabinet or dust hood.
- Belt and motor covers — On and secure; no exposed belt or pulley.
Fence, miter gauge and push sticks
- Rip fence — Locks firmly and stays parallel to the blade; never closer at the back.
- Miter gauge — Slides freely in the slot; angle stop accurate and locks.
- Push sticks and push blocks — At the saw in sizes for the work; not cut up or splintered.
- Featherboards — On hand for dadoing and rabbeting, when the guard can't be used.
Controls and test run
- On/off switch — Reachable from the operating position; off is quick to hit.
- No-restart switch — Saw stays off if power drops and comes back.
- Flesh-sensing brake — Status light shows ready; right cartridge for the blade fitted.
- Dust collection — Hose connected and intact; collector on; bag or bin not full.
- Test run — Spins up smoothly; no vibration or noise; slows and stops normally.
- Floor around the saw — Clear of offcuts and dust; not slippery; good light.
How often a table saw has to be inspected
Check a table saw before each use (each class period in a school shop) and look at the blade every time it's changed. OSHA's woodworking machinery rule doesn't give an interval in days, but its inspection and maintenance paragraph is strict about condition: "Dull, badly set, improperly filed, or improperly tensioned saws shall be immediately removed from service, before they begin to cause the material to stick, jam, or kick back," and "All cracked saws shall be removed from service" (29 CFR 1910.213(s)(1) and (s)(7)). The only way to catch a dull or cracked blade before it kicks back is to look at it before the cut.
The same section lists what a hand-fed table saw must have:
- A hood that "completely encloses" the blade above the table and adjusts itself to the stock ((c)(1), and (d)(1) for crosscut table saws).
- A spreader, the older name for a splitter or riving knife, "to prevent material from squeezing the saw or being thrown back on the operator" ((c)(2)).
- "Nonkickback fingers or dogs" for ripping ((c)(3)).
- A fence that can be secured "without changing their alignment with the saw" ((a)(6)).
- A power control the operator can reach "without leaving his position at the point of operation" ((b)(1)).
- Push sticks or push blocks "provided at the work place" ((s)(9)).
OSHA's rules protect employees, such as a shop teacher or a cabinet shop's crew. In a school shop the same checks protect students too; see equipment checks for schools. On construction sites, 29 CFR 1926.304 applies instead.
How to do the check
- Unplug the saw or lock the disconnect off.
- Raise the blade fully and look at every tooth with a light. Spin the blade by hand and watch the rim against the throat plate for wobble.
- Check the throat plate sits flush, and clean pitch off the blade if it's building up. OSHA says saws "to which gum has adhered on the sides shall be immediately cleaned" ((s)(1)).
- Fit and work the guard, riving knife and pawls. The hood should lift as stock passes under it and drop back; the pawls should drag one way and dig in the other.
- Lock the fence and measure from the fence to the same tooth at the front and back of the blade. The gap should be equal, or slightly wider at the back. A fence that's closer at the back pinches the stock against the blade.
- Check the push sticks are at the saw, not in a drawer.
- Plug in, switch on the dust collection, start the saw, listen, and stop it with the switch from your normal stance.
The defects that take it out of service
| Defect | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Cracked blade or missing teeth | OSHA requires cracked saws removed from service; teeth can be thrown |
| Dull or pitch-coated blade | Burns and binds the cut: a kickback starts here |
| Guard, riving knife or pawls missing or broken | Nothing stops the stock being thrown back or a hand reaching the blade |
| Fence won't lock or toes in at the back | Pinches the stock between fence and blade |
| Arbor play or blade wobble | OSHA requires arbors of circular saws to be "free from play" ((s)(4)) |
| Switch hard to reach or doesn't stop the saw | You can't stop it fast in an emergency |
| Flesh-sensing brake shows a fault | The safety system isn't armed |
What to do when something fails
Lock the saw off and tag it. Unplug it and hang a DO NOT OPERATE tag on the switch, or lock the disconnect; OSHA recommends a disconnect "that can be locked in the off position" ((a)(10)). Blade problems usually end with a sharp blade going on, but sharpening is a specialist job: "Sharpening or tensioning of saw blades or cutters shall be done only by persons of demonstrated skill in this kind of work" ((s)(5)). Guard, fence, switch and arbor problems wait for a repair. More in what to do when equipment fails inspection.
Keeping the record
No OSHA rule requires a written table saw log. But after an injury, the first question is when the saw was last checked and by whom, and a dated record answers it. In a school, it also shows that whoever opens the shop checks the saw before students use it. See equipment inspection record keeping.
A QR sticker on the fence rail or switch box puts this checklist on the phone of whoever opens the shop. A problem they mark emails the shop lead with a photo, and CheckBadges shows it to the next person who scans the saw until someone marks it fixed. See QR code equipment checklists.
Skip the clipboard
Put this table saw inspection checklist on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Table saw 1
Table saw inspection checklist
Frequently asked questions
Does OSHA require a blade guard on a table saw?
Yes. Every hand-fed circular ripsaw and crosscut table saw must have a hood that encloses the blade above the table and adjusts itself to the stock (29 CFR 1910.213(c)(1) and (d)(1)), plus a spreader and nonkickback fingers for ripping ((c)(2) and (c)(3)).
Is a riving knife the same as a splitter?
Both stop the cut closing on the back of the blade, which OSHA's rule calls a spreader. A splitter is usually fixed to the guard assembly; a riving knife mounts to the arbor carriage and rises and falls with the blade, so it stays close behind it at every height.
When should a table saw blade be replaced?
As soon as it's dull, cracked or missing teeth. OSHA requires dull or badly set saws to be "immediately removed from service" before they cause the material to stick, jam or kick back, and all cracked saws removed from service (29 CFR 1910.213(s)(1) and (s)(7)).
How do you check table saw fence alignment?
Unplug the saw, raise the blade, lock the fence, and measure from the fence to the same tooth at the front and the back of the blade. Equal, or a hair wider at the back, is right; a fence closer at the back pinches the stock and causes kickback.
Do push sticks have to be kept at the table saw?
Yes. OSHA requires push sticks or push blocks "provided at the work place in the several sizes and types suitable for the work to be done" (29 CFR 1910.213(s)(9)). Replace any that are cut up or splintered.
Keep reading
- Power tool inspection checklistFree power tool inspection checklist for corded, cordless and air tools: cords, plugs, guards, switches, blades, batteries and hoses. Print it or use it by QR.
- SchoolsSchool shop safety checklists on a QR sticker per table saw, drill press and welder. Students or teachers scan with a phone or shop tablet; no app or login.
- ManufacturingMachine pre-use checklists for manufacturing: a QR sticker on each press, saw, crane and forklift. Operators scan with their phone; problems alert you at once.
- Out-of-service tag makerPrint DANGER – DO NOT OPERATE and OUT OF SERVICE tags for defective equipment. Fill in the machine, problem and date, or leave blanks. Free, no signup.
- When equipment fails inspectionEquipment failed its pre-use check? Stop, tag it out, report it, have an authorized person repair it, then verify and release it. The OSHA rules, step by step.
Do your table saw checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.