Do not use the circular saw if you have not been trained on one by one of the faculty.

What should you do before you start cutting ith a circular saw?

– Wear safety glasses, goggles, or face shield.

– Wear an approved respirator or dust mask.

– Use appropriate hearing protection equipment in noisy areas.

– Check the retracting lower blade guard to make certain it works freely.

– Ensure the blade is sharp enough to do the job. Sharp blades work better and are safer.

– Check the saw for proper blade rotation.

– Set the depth of the blade while the saw is unplugged. Lock it at a depth in which the lowest tooth does not extend more than about 0.3 cm (1/8″) beneath the wood.

What should you do to work safely with a circular saw?

Keep your finger off the trigger (switch) until you are ready to make a cut. 

Never cut a board in the middle that is just lying on two sawhorses, it will sag or collapse about two-thirds of the way through the cut and bind the saw, causing kickback. 

Always have a safe place to put your saw. Never set it down on the blade guard or drop it on the ground. Always lay a saw on the side the blade is on (not blade up).

Don’t stand on the cord. When you run out of cord, the saw could kick back and cut you.  All of the area where you are using a saw should be clean, leaving nothing that could cause you to trip and fall while carrying or using a circular saw.

Set the blade depth of the saw blade to the thickness of the board to be cut plus one-eighth inch. 

Place the nose (front) of the saw base on the board to be cut, with the blade about one-quarter-inch from the board, align the blade with the mark as straight as you can.

Start the motor and slowly push the saw forward until it just touches the board. If you are a little off the mark, back the saw up one-eighth inch (while it is still running) and the vibration of the saw will let you go to the left or right to line up the blade with the mark.

Push the saw slowly through the board and let the saw do its job. Do not crowd the saw (push it too fast). You will feel when the saw has cut through the board, because they will both move, only slightly, but you will see and feel them separate.Now, take your finger off the trigger and do not move the saw. Let the motor and blade come to a complete stop. Never lift or move a saw from a cut while it is still running. This is the most important thing to remember.