Band saw maintenance safety

⚠What laws and standards require

• Industrial Safety and Health Regulations (Japan), Article 114 (covers for band saw teeth, etc.)

  Band saws (except those for woodworking) must have covers or enclosures over the wheels and over every part of the teeth not needed for cutting

  Expose only the part of the blade used for cutting and cover the wheels and the rest of the blade. Lower the movable guide arm (guard) to just above the material. Do not run the machine with covers removed. HOZAN asks users to work with the safety guard lowered, and DoALL asks users not to run the machine with guards removed or incorrectly fitted^[1][2][3]

• Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (Japan), Articles 107 and 108 (Stopping operation when cleaning, and when cleaning the cutting part)

  Cleaning, lubricating, inspecting, repairing, and adjusting the machine, and cleaning, inspecting, repairing, replacing, and adjusting the blade part, must be done with the machine stopped, and the starting device must be locked and tagged so that no one else can start it

  Change blades, adjust guides and brushes, and clean chips only after stopping the machine and turning the power off. DoALL asks users to turn the power off before maintenance or blade adjustment, and HOZAN asks users to unplug the power cord before changing blades or removing chips^[1][3][2]

• Industrial Safety and Health Regulations (Japan), Article 108, paragraphs 3 and 4 (clearing chips from the blade of a running machine)

  When clearing chips from the blade of a running machine or applying cutting agent, workers must be made to use a brush or other suitable tool

  Do not clear chips around the blade bare-handed while the machine is running. Use a tool, and clean with the machine stopped if possible. HOZAN asks users to always switch the power off before removing chips^[1][2]

• Industrial Safety and Health Regulations (Japan), Article 110 (Wearing work caps, etc.)

  Where hair or clothing could be caught in a power-driven machine, workers must be made to wear a suitable work cap or work clothes

  Tie back long hair, and do not wear loose clothing, neckties, or jewelry. Both HOZAN and DoALL ask users not to wear loose clothing or jewelry^[1][2][3]

• Manufacturer's operation manual and blade maker's instructions (reference: Industrial Safety and Health Regulations (Japan), Article 111, prohibition of gloves)

  Do not wear gloves that can be caught, such as cotton work gloves, while the machine is running. Wear gloves when handling (changing) the blade on a stopped machine

  HOZAN asks users not to wear gloves that can be caught during use and always to wear gloves when changing blades. Starrett also recommends gloves when handling blades, and WIKUS recommends cut-resistant gloves when handling blades. Article 111 of the Regulations prohibits gloves in work where a hand could be caught by a rotating tool, such as drilling machines and chamfering machines. DoALL lists gloves as an example of protective equipment, and Rakuso lists leather gloves among the safety items for vertical machines, but neither distinguishes handling while running. For gloves during operation, follow the machine manufacturer's instructions^[2][4][5][6]

• Industrial Safety and Health Regulations (Japan), Articles 105 and 106 (preventing hazards from flying workpieces and chips)

  Where flying workpieces or chips are hazardous, the machine must have a cover or enclosure, and where that is difficult, workers must be made to use protective equipment

  Wear safety glasses. For work that produces a lot of chips or dust, also use a dust mask. HOZAN lists safety glasses (and a dust mask when there is a lot of dust), WIKUS lists safety glasses, safety shoes, and a long-sleeved jacket, and DoALL lists safety glasses and hearing protection^[1][2][5][3]

• Manufacturer's safety items and operation manual (when feeding material by hand on a vertical machine)

  Round bar and round pipe roll easily during the cut, so hold them with a vise that prevents rotation. Do not push directly on the cutting line by hand, in case of kickback at the end of the cut. Hold small pieces with pliers or the like and push them through with a push stick

  On a hand-fed vertical machine, do not put your hand in the blade's path; feed the material with a jig. Rakuso offers safety vises, hand holders, and push sticks as safety items. Starrett also says round material rolls easily and that loose clamping chips the teeth. HOZAN shows pushing the material along an angle guide to cut it^[6][7][2]

The legal provisions are summarized in Kezuriba's own words. Check the exact wording against the original text in e-Gov Law Search.