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When hand-held or quick cut concrete or masonry saws are used, potentially violent kickback, push-back or pull-in forces can occur suddenly and be difficult to control. The use of these saws without proper care has the potential to cause serious or fatal injury, especially when cutting or chasing.
WorkSafe has been notified of three separate incidents, which occurred within one month, where kickback from quick cut saws occurred. The operators sustained lacerations to the neck or facial region while cutting into masonry and concrete.
A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure concrete and masonry cutting by use of quick cut saw is carried out in a safe manner, and provide workers with a safe working environment, as far as reasonably practicable.
PCBUs must eliminate risks where reasonably practicable, and use the hierarchy of control measures to minimise remaining risks. It may be reasonably practicable to reduce the risk of injury from masonry or concrete cutting by considering other options or methods before selecting a quick cut saw.
This information is guidance only and a risk assessment may determine that further control measures are required.
PCBUs must have arrangements for monitoring and evaluating compliance with control measures, and must ensure workers using quick cut saws have:
PCBUs and workers should be aware that:
PCBUs must ensure workers:
To minimise risks, ensure:
To reduce the risk of kickback injuries, workers should:
If cuts need to be performed above shoulder height, a suitable working platform should be used that does not expose the operator to a fall from height and provides a stable and secure work platform.
When cutting a freestanding object, such as a concrete pipe, ensure the object is fully supported in a way that it does not jam on the blade as it cuts or rolls away during the cut. The same principle applies when making a cut in a wall if the wall requires propping or supporting to prevent either the wall collapsing or the cut section of the wall jamming the saw blade.
Ensure no silica slurry or dust is left in the work area, so that workers using the site in future are not exposed. Choose a saw with slurry extraction or clean up with an industrial vacuum rated for use with silica.
Some control measures are more effective than others. Control measures can be measured from the highest level of effectiveness and reliability to the lowest. This ranking is known as the hierarchy of control. Higher order controls must always be considered first.
Level 1 |
Eliminate the hazards The PCBU must eliminate the use of a quick cut saw if it is reasonably practicable to do so. |
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Level 2 |
Substitute the hazard with something safer The PCBU must choose the correct type of saw for the task being carried out. Is it reasonably practicable to use a smaller or less powerful saw that has been designed to reduce the risk of kickback or a different type of saw?
Reduce the risks through engineering controls Make it safer, consider using a concrete pipe cutting cradle, for increased stability and control if cutting pipe. This also prevents the blade from pinching or jamming. |
Level 3 |
Use administrative controls Change the way people work by using controls, such as policies and training. PPE Protect workers by providing safety equipment, such as gloves, goggles and respiratory protective equipment. This is the least effective level of control and should not replace more effective and reliable ways of controlling risks. |
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