Makita 5402NA - Manual (Page 5)

5
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES
USB008-5
DO NOT let comfort or familiarity with product (gained from
repeated use) replace strict adherence to circular saw safety
rules. If you use this tool unsafely or incorrectly, you can suffer
serious personal injury.
1. DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting
area and blade. Keep your second hand
on auxiliary handle, or motor housing. If
both hands are holding the saw, they cannot
be cut by the blade.
Keep your body positioned to either side
of the saw blade, but not in line with the
saw blade. KICKBACK could cause the saw
to jump backwards. (See “Causes and Oper-
ator Prevention of Kickback”)
Do not reach underneath the work. The
guard can not protect you from the blade
below the work. Do not attempt to remove cut
material when blade is moving.
CAUTION: Blades coast after turn off. Wait
until blade stops before grasping cut material.
2. Check lower guard for proper closing
before each use. Do not operate saw if
lower guard does not move freely and
close instantly. Never clamp or tie the
lower guard into the open position. If saw
is accidentally dropped, lower guard may be
bent. Raise the lower guard with the Retract-
ing Lever and make sure it moves freely and
does not touch the blade or any other part, in
all angles and depths of cut.
To check lower guard, open lower guard by
hand, then release and watch guard closure.
Also check to see that Retracting Lever does
not touch tool housing. Leaving blade
exposed is VERY DANGEROUS and can
lead to serious personal injury.
3. Check the operation and condition of the
lower guard spring. If the guard and the
spring are not operating properly, they
must be serviced before use. Lower guard
may operate sluggishly due to damaged
parts, gummy deposits, or a buildup of debris.
4. Lower guard should be retracted manually
only for special cuts such as “Pocket
Cuts” and “Compound Cuts.” Raise lower
guard by Retracting Lever. As soon as
blade enters the material, lower guard
must be released. For all other sawing, the
lower guard should operate automatically.
5. Always observe that the lower guard is
covering the blade before placing saw
down on bench or floor. An unprotected,
coasting blade will cause the saw to walk
backwards, cutting whatever is in its path. Be
aware of the time it takes for the blade to stop
after switch is released.
6. NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands
or across your leg. It is important to support
the work properly to minimize body exposure,
blade binding, or loss of control.
7. Hold tool by insulated gripping surfaces
when performing an operation where the
cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or
its own cord. Contact with a “live” wire will
also make exposed metal parts of the tool
“live” and shock the operator.
8. When ripping always use a rip fence or
straight edge guide. This improves the
accuracy of cut and reduces the chance for
blade binding.
9. Always use blades with correct size and
shape (diamond vs. round) arbor holes.
Blades that do not match the mounting hard-
ware of the saw will run eccentrically, causing
loss of control.
10. Never use damaged or incorrect blade
washers or bolts. The blade washers and
bolt were specially designed for your saw, for
optimum performance and safety of opera-
tion.