Table saws can be the most dangerous piece of machinery in your workshop, it has the power and speed to remove your fingers before you even know what happened. It is imperative that you know what the machine is likely to do and stop it before it happens.
The main cause of most table saw injuries is from kickback, this occurs when the board drifts away from the fence and pushes against the back of the spinning blade. This can cause the board to lift off the table and propel it backwards straight towards you! Splitters are designed to prevent kickback, and they do, so ensure that any table saw you use has a splitter attached at the back of the blade.
Dewalt Reciprocating Saw
Here are a few rules that you should use when cutting any timber on a table saw;
Never stand directly behind the saw blade.
Make sure the blade is never more than an eighth of an inch above the surface of the board being cut.
Pay attention to what the weather is doing at all times, and be ready to react to any eventuality.
Never pull a board backwards out of the spinning blade.
Always use a push stick to move a piece of wood through the blade - not your hand!
If you have never used a table saw before, I highly recommend that you ask for some advice from a competent woodworker before you start. There are many community colleges that offer night classes in woodworking where you will learn the basics and particularly how to be safe around machine tools.