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Australian Standard

woodworking machinery
Guarding and safe use of
AS 1473—1991
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee SF/7, Guarding of Woodworking
Machinery. It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 7 June 1991
and published on 9 August 1991.

The following interests are represented on Committee SF/7:

Australian Chamber of Commerce
Australian Furniture Industry Association
Confederation of Australian Industry
CSIRO, Division of Building, Construction and Engineering
Department of Industrial Affairs, Qld
Department of Industrial Relations and Employment, N.S.W.
Department of Labour, S.A.
Department of Labour, Vic.
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Department of Occupational Health Safety and Welfare, W.A.

National Furniture Industry Training Council
National Safety Council of Australia
Safety Institute of Australia

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject to
periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as necessary. It is important
therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edition, and any amendments thereto.
Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia Catalogue
of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australian Standard’, which
subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editions and amendments, and of
withdrawn Standards.
Suggestions for improvements to Australian Standards, addressed to the head office of Standards Australia, are
welcomed. Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made without
delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 90033.

 AS 1473—1991

Australian Standard

Guarding and safe use of

woodworking machinery
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First published as AS CZ10—1960.

Revised and redesignated AS 1473–1974.
Second edition 1991.

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 7002 4
 AS 1473—1991 2

PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee on Guarding of Woodworking Machinery to
supersede AS 1473-1974, Code of practice for the guarding and safe use of woodworking machinery.
This Standard is intended to be used in association with, and as a supplement to, existing statutory requirements
of the various regulatory authorities by specifying requirements for good practice in the guarding and safe use
of woodworking machines.
This Standard includes dimensional requirements for the design and construction of machine guards generally.
These requirements are also to be incorporated in a new Standard covering machine safety in general, which is
currently in course of preparation. The requirements now published in this Standard are based on the latest
information available from the Committee preparing the general machine safety Standard.
The subject of chainsaws is separately covered in AS 2726, Chainsaws – Safety requirements and AS 2727,
Chainsaws – Guide to safe working practices.
The guarding of machinery used in the primary milling of raw sawlogs, together with associated specialist
machinery, i.e. log peelers and debarkers, has been excluded from this Standard as both the environment in which
they operate and the nature of the process necessitate a different approach to machine safety.
In the preparation of this Standard, the following documents were referred to:
ANSI
01.1 Safety requirements for woodworking machinery
BS
5304 Code of practice – Safeguarding of machinery
6854 Code of practice for safeguarding woodworking machines
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Acknowledgment is made of the assistance received from these sources.

 Copyright STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

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allows and except where provided for below no publications or software produced by Standards Australia may be reproduced, stored in a
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Standards Australia will permit up to 10 percent of the technical content pages of a Standard to be copied for use exclusively in-
house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Australia.
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provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs.
Care should be taken to ensure that material used is from the current edition of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the Standard is
amended or revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identified.
The use of material in print form or in computer software programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in commercial
contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be varied by Standards Australia at any time.
 3 AS 1473—1991

CONTENTS

Page
SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL
1.1 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... .... . ... .. . ... ...... ... .. .. .. .. .... . 5
1.2 APPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .... . ...... ... .. . ... ..... .. .. .. .. .. . 5
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS . . ..... .... . .... .. ... ...... ..... .. . ... .... . 5
1.4 DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. ... .... .. .. .. . .. . .. . . .. . . 5

SECTION 2 PLANT LAYOUT AND MACHINE INSTALLATION

2.1 FOUNDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. ..... .. .. .. 7
2.2 WORK PLACES AND MEANS OF ACCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. . .. .. .. .. 7
2.3 MACHINE LAYOUT AND WORKING AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. ..... .. .. .. 7
2.4 LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. . .. .. .. .. .. 7
2.5 ELECTRICAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. ... .. .. .. .. 7
2.6 NOISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. .. . .. .. .. 7

SECTION 3 MACHINE DESIGN

3.1 GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2 TOOLHOLDING AND CUTTER DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.3 SAFETY BY POSITION OR LOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.4 ACCESS FOR ADJUSTMENT, LUBRICATION AND MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.5 AUTOMATION AND MECHANIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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3.6 POWER FEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.7 CLAMPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.8 ANTI-KICKBACK DEVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.9 WORK GUIDES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.10 CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.11 BRAKING SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.12 HUMAN LIMITATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.13 PHYSICAL GUARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.14 SAFETY TRIP DEVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.15 SELECTION OF SAFEGUARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.16 OTHER SAFETY DEVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.17 DUST EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.18 NOISE REDUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

SECTION 4 SAFE OPERATION AND OPERATOR TRAINING

4.1 GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.2 TRAINING AND SUPERVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.3 MODEL INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

SECTION 5 MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION

5.1 GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . ... .. ... ... . .. . . .. . . . 28
5.2 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS – ROUTINE . . . .... . ... .. ... .. . .. .. .... . . 28
5.3 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS – PERIODIC . . .... . ... .. ... . .. .... .... . . 28
5.4 INSPECTION PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . ... .. ... .. . ... . .... . . 28
5.5 REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... .. ... ... . .. . ... . . . 29
5.6 UNSERVICEABLE MACHINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... .. ... ... . .. . ... . . . 29
5.7 DISCONNECTION OF POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... .. ... ... . .. . ... . . . 29

SECTION 6 PROVISION OF INFORMATION BY THE MANUFACTURER OR SUPPLIER

6.1 INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.2 MACHINE IDENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
 AS 1473—1991 4

Page

APPENDICES
A SAFEGUARDING OF SPECIFIC WOODWORKING MACHINES . . . . . . . . . . . . .... .. 31
B DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF GUARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 36
C MODEL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF WOODWORKING
MACHINES – GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 40
D MODEL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF SPECIFIC
WOODWORKING MACHINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 41
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 5 AS 1473—1991

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Guarding and safe use of woodworking machinery

SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE This Standard specifies minimum design requirements for the guarding and safe use of machines which
cut or abrade wood, wood products and like materials, to be observed by employers, trainers, employees, designers,
makers and suppliers of woodworking machinery and other persons having an interest in woodworking machine
operations.
NOTE: Attention is drawn to the necessity for compliance with statutory requirements of relevant regulatory authorities.

1.2 APPLICATION This Standard is intended to apply to machines used for the manufacture of components for
joinery, furniture, and the like. The following are excluded:
(a) Machinery used for the primary milling of raw sawlogs, together with associated specialist machinery, i.e. debarkers
and log peelers.
(b) Chainsaws (see AS 2726 and AS 2727).

1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS The following documents are referred to in this Standard:
AS
1217 Acoustics—Determination of sound power levels of noise sources
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1217.1 Part 1: Guidelines for the use of basic Standards for the preparation of noise test codes
1269 Hearing conservation
1270 Acoustics—Hearing protectors
1318 SAA Industrial Safety Colour Code
1337 Eye protectors for industrial applications
1359 Rotating electrical machines—General requirements
1359.4 Part 4: Rating plate markings
1470 Health and safety at work—Principles and practices
1543 Electrical equipment of industrial machines
1680 Code of practice for interior lighting and the visual environment
1755 Conveyors—Design, construction, installation, and operation—Safety requirements
2161 Industrial safety gloves and mittens (excluding electrical and medical gloves)
2210 Safety footwear
2726 Chainsaws—Safety requirements
2727 Chainsaws—Guide to safe working practices
3000 SAA Wiring Rules

1.4 DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Standard, the following definitions apply.
1.4.1 Cutter A tool on woodworking machines, including circular sawblades of all types, band sawblades, chain
cutters, knives, boring tools, detachable cutters, solid cutters, abrasive cutters (fixed or flexible) and other devices for
forming or shaping.
1.4.2 Danger A state or condition in which personal injury is reasonably foreseeable.
1.4.3 Failure-to-safety A design objective providing that, in the event of any failure of the machinery, its associated
safeguards, control circuits or its power supply, further movement of the operating parts is prevented.
1.4.4 Guard A physical barrier that prevents or reduces access to a danger point or area.
1.4.5 Hazard A situation which may give rise to personal injury.
1.4.6 Interlock A safety device that interconnects a guard with the control system or the power system of the machine.
1.4.7 Regulatory authority An authority having statutory powers to control the design, manufacture, installation, sale
of or use of woodworking machines in the State or Territory in which the woodworking machine is to be operated.
1.4.8 Safeguard Any guard or safety device which protects persons from danger.

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1.4.9 Safety device A device other than a guard that eliminates or reduces danger, e.g. push stick, push block, jig or
holder, mechanical feed device, trip device.
1.4.10 Safe working practice A safe system of work, i.e. a method of working that eliminates or reduces the risk of
injury.
1.4.11 ‘Shall’ The word ‘shall’ is to be understood as mandatory.
1.4.12 ‘Should’ The word ‘should’ is to be understood as advisory.
1.4.13 Stand-in condition An unsafe condition whereby a guarding system allows a person to occupy a position
between a guard and the hazard without actuating the machine stop control.
1.4.14 Two-hand control device A device which requires both hands to operate the machine control, so as to afford
a measure of protection from danger to the machine operator only.
1.4.15 Woodworking machine A machine, whether stationary or portable, designed, manufactured, supplied or used
for the processing of wood, cork, fibre board, and materials composed partly of any of these materials, or any substitute
materials in the manufacture of components for joinery, furniture and other like applications (see also Clause 1.2).
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SECTION 2 PLANT LAYOUT AND MACHINE INSTALLATION

2.1 FOUNDATIONS Every machine should be fixed or located on a substantial foundation, floor or other support
so that it is stable and secure against undesirable movement.

2.2 WORK PLACES AND MEANS OF ACCESS Work places and means of access should generally be in
accordance with the principles expressed in AS 1470.

2.3 MACHINE LAYOUT AND WORKING AREA Machines should be arranged in a manner that will permit an
even flow of materials and eliminate backtracking and criss-crossing. Sufficient space should be provided to handle the
material with the least possible interference from or to workers or other machines. Machines should be placed so that
it will not be necessary for an operator to stand in or near an aisle, and the layout of machines should allow for easy
maintenance and repair.

2.4 LIGHTING Adequate illumination of the working area shall be provided by natural or artificial means or both.
Artificial lighting shall be in accordance with the provisions of AS 1680.

2.5 ELECTRICAL Electrical wiring and equipment shall be in accordance with AS 3000, AS 1543, and the
requirements of the relevant regulatory authority.

2.6 NOISE When a machine could create a noise hazard which has not been controlled at the design phase, and the
noise levels are in excess of those permitted by the regulatory authority, or are such that they may affect the health of
any person, all practicable steps shall be taken, during installation, to providing a means of reducing the transmission
of noise (see Clause 3.18).
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 AS 1473—1991 8

SECTION 3 MACHINE DESIGN

3.1 GENERAL This Section sets out general requirements for the design of woodworking machines to achieve an
acceptable level of safety. Additional requirements for the safeguarding of specific types of machine are given in
Appendix A.
The interaction of people with a machine in all aspects of its use needs to be carefully considered and the interfaces
between people and machines need to be designed with full consideration of human limitations (see Clause 3.12).
In the design of woodworking machines, consideration should be given to the basic principles for reducing risk of injury.
These principles are, in the order they should be applied, as follows:
(a) Identification or knowledge of the hazards.
(b) Elimination or avoidance of the hazards as far as practicable.
(c) Identification of residual risks.
(d) Elimination or reduction of risks—
(i) by design;
(ii) by use of safeguards (including safety devices); and
(iii) by use of safe working practices.
Consideration should be given to eliminating hazards as far as practicable by machine design. If this cannot be fully
achieved it may still be possible to reduce the scale of the hazard and the severity of any injury by reducing speeds or
forces, or using automatic feed devices.
If a hazard cannot be eliminated or avoided by design or modification, other measures for reducing the risk of injury
should be sought. These measures may include reducing the scale of injury by providing safeguards (unless a danger
point or area is safe by virtue of its position (see Clause 3.3)), and safe working practices. The avoidance of injury
depends on the reliability of these measures, and as safeguards are more reliable than safe working practices, they should
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be given a higher priority. Where it is difficult to guarantee that machinery is safe by virtue of its position, and where
access to hazards and consequent injury is reasonably foreseeable, safeguards shall be provided.
NOTE: It should be recognized that when considering possible combinations of hazard elimination, provision of safeguards, and safe working
practices, it may not be practicable to use the more effective types of safety measure because they are either not technically feasible or are not
suitable for their particular application.
Every mechanism or control forming part of a safeguard shall be of a fail-to-safety design. Safeguards shall not in
themselves create hazards.
Safety devices shall be used wherever practicable.
3.2 TOOLHOLDING AND CUTTER DESIGN Securing devices for detachable cutters and tools should be designed
in such a way as to minimize the risk of the cutters working loose and flying out. Cutters with closed slots are less likely
to fly out than those with open slots. It should be possible to adjust and tighten the securing nuts or bolts correctly
without difficulty.
Where cutterblocks are removable, they should be marked with the recommended maximum speed to ensure
compatibility with the machine for which they are to be used. Rotating cutterblocks and their knives should be correctly
balanced to minimize vibration at high speed.
3.3 SAFETY BY POSITION OR LOCATION Where reasonably practicable, the cutters of woodworking machines
should be rendered safe by position, that is, the machines should be so designed that in normal circumstances it should
not be possible to reach and therefore make physical contact with the cutter. Safety by location cannot be relied upon
unless prevention of access to the danger area occurs at all machine settings and adjustments. For example, the circular
cutterblock on a thicknessing machine might be considered to be safe by location because of its position relative to a
chip deflector hood or machine casing, but it should be remembered that this would be the case only if the table is
adjusted for thicknessing comparatively thin workpieces and, therefore, the cutterblock is out of reach (see Figure 3.1).
3.4 ACCESS FOR ADJUSTMENT, LUBRICATION AND MAINTENANCE Woodworking machines should be
designed as far as is practicable to enable all routine adjustments, lubrication and maintenance to be carried out without
removing the safeguard or without extensive dismantling of machinery components. Ideally, all lubrication and routine
maintenance facilities should be located outside the danger area.
3.5 AUTOMATION AND MECHANIZATION Although automation, particularly the use of feed systems, can
improve safety, its introduction may not totally eliminate hazards and care should be taken that additional hazards, such
as trapping and shearing points, are safeguarded.
Conveyors and transfer mechanisms shall be designed, operated and safeguarded in accordance with AS 1755 where
these are used to link machines.
Microprocessor control may be used subject to the requirements of Clause 3.10.5.
3.6 POWER FEED Power feed systems should be provided where reasonably practicable. Their use, for example on
sawing machines, vertical spindle moulding machines, planing and thicknessing machines, and routing and moulding
machines, will eliminate many of the hazards arising from hand feeding (see Figure 3.2).
All work-feeding devices, such as feed rolls, feed chains and other moving parts that can create a hazard shall be
safeguarded.

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FIGURE 3.1 A CHIP DEFLECTOR HOOD FOR THE

CIRCULAR CUTTER BLOCK OF A THICKNESSING MACHINE

FIGURE 3.2 A POWER FEED UNIT FITTED TO A VERTICAL SPINDLE MOULDING MACHINE

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3.7 CLAMPING Where necessary, provision shall be made for clamping the workpiece, e.g. mechanical or power
clamping, with sufficient force to hold the timber during machining.
If the nature of the work is such that power clamping is essential for subsequent machining, the power-operated
workholding devices shall be designed so that in the event of a failure of the power supply to the system, the workpiece
will remain clamped. In automatic systems, the control system shall be interlocked to prevent the machine from being
operated until the power is applied to the workholding device and the workpiece is clamped. A means shall be provided
to indicate that the clamp is ON, by an indicator visible from the operator’s normal working position.
Where power clamping may introduce a trapping hazard, the preferred arrangement is two-stage clamping in which,
during the initial movement of the clamp, the force is reduced so that the risk of injury from trapping is minimized.
Alternatives are either to reduce the clamp/workpiece gap to 6 mm so that finger access into the gap is not possible,
or guard the clamps so that it is not possible to trap a hand or a finger.
The design of the control system shall be such that the power-operating system for the workholding device cannot be
operated to unclamp the workpiece while the machine is in operation.
3.8 ANTI-KICKBACK DEVICES Anti-kickback devices shall be provided where there is a risk of material being
ejected and shall be designed with sufficient strength to prevent such ejection of material. They may be in the form of
fingers in the shape of stepped pawls, as on a thicknessing machine (see Figure 3.3), or toothed discs with a non-return
action, which shall extend the full working width of the machine.
The fingers or discs shall always be free to operate. If the clearance between the fingers is such that narrow slivers of
wood can pass through, a second row of fingers/discs, offset to fully cover the gaps in the first row, shall be provided.
The anti-kickback device shall be designed to give protection throughout the range of thicknesses which can be cut. It
may be necessary to fix a guard behind the anti-kickback device to prevent pieces of wood from being deflected through
any gap between the top of the device and its supporting casting.
3.9 WORK GUIDES Work guides shall be provided to assist in locating workpieces correctly. These may be in the
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form of fences, for example on table band-sawing machines, circular sawing machines, and vertical spindle moulding
machines.
3.10 CONTROLS
3.10.1 General All woodworking machines, including multi-function machines, shall have controls designed for ease
of use and safe operation, including those provided to start and stop the machine. Start switches shall be coloured green,
as specified in AS 1318.
3.10.2 Emergency stop Emergency stops are actuated by means of emergency stop (push) buttons, trip wires, trip bars,
handles or similar devices. They shall be—
(a) coloured red as specified in AS 1318 and suitably marked;
(b) prominently located; and
(c) readily accessible and, where appropriate, able to be operated by the operator’s knee or foot.
Emergency stop buttons shall be of the ‘mushroom’ head type (see Figure 3.4). An emergency stop button shall be
positioned at each control station or operating position. It shall not be possible to restart the machine until the buttons
have been reset. To achieve this, emergency stop buttons shall be of the lock-in type.
Trip wires, bars, handles or similar devices shall be located in such a manner as to be clearly visible and so positioned
that they can be used conveniently. Any deflection or breakage of the wire or device shall bring the dangerous parts to
rest.
An emergency stopping device shall not influence the functioning of any equipment which could endanger the operator
or the machine, for example by releasing workholding devices and braking systems. In some circumstances, for example,
where there is a trapping risk, it may be necessary for the operation of the emergency stop button to cause a
repositioning of the elements of a machine to reduce the danger.
Resetting emergency stop devices shall not cause the machine to operate. Restarting, after the fault has been rectified,
shall only be achieved by operating the main start control.
An emergency stop device shall not be regarded as an alternative to guarding.
3.10.3 Isolating control Each machine shall incorporate a device for disconnecting all motive power. The device shall
be mounted in a prominent and accessible position, on or close to the machine, and shall have a means of locking it in
the ‘off’ position.
If the power sources are external to the machine via a power take-off shaft or belt, the operator of the machine shall
be provided with a means of quickly disconnecting the power transmitted from the prime mover.
3.10.4 Indication of power on Each machine shall be equipped with a readily visible indicator to show when power
has been switched on.

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 11 AS 1473—1991
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NOTE: The hood guard covering the feed roller has been removed.

FIGURE 3.3 ANTI-KICKBACK FINGERS ON A THICKNESSING MACHINE

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 AS 1473—1991 12

(a) ‘Start’ and ‘stop’ buttons

(b) Emergency stop button, mushroom head type, coloured red

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(c) Pedal control, protected against accidental operation

(d) Trip wire and balance switch

FIGURE 3.4 TYPICAL START AND STOP CONTROLS

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 13 AS 1473—1991

3.10.5 Digital programmable electronic systems Where machines are controlled by a microcomputer-based system,
the system shall be designed to protect against malfunctions occurring both internally within the microcomputer and
externally in the associated hardware, e.g. power supply, input/output interface.
Any malfunction of the microcomputer-based system shall not expose any person to the risk of injury.
NOTE: The safety reliability of microcomputer-based systems should be at least as high as the accepted discrete component electronic or
conventional hardwired electro-mechanical based system. If this cannot be assured, then hardwired systems are to be preferred.
Emergency stops incorporated in the control system shall be hardwired to de-energize the final drive element (e.g. motor
or solenoid) and shall be independent of software controls.
3.10.6 Position Controls shall be positioned and spaced so as to provide safe and easy operation and there shall be
ample clearance between each control and adjacent parts of the machine. Near each START control or workstation there
shall be a STOP control.
3.10.7 Prevention of inadvertent operation START controls shall be shrouded, gated or positioned so that they
cannot be operated inadvertently.
Handles, handwheels and levers shall be positioned so that when using one or more of them the operator cannot
inadvertently operate any other control.
Foot-operated controls, other than for EMERGENCY STOP, shall be shrouded or positioned to prevent accidental
operation by falling or moving objects, or being stepped on unintentionally (see Figure 3.4).
3.10.8 Identification Controls shall be clearly identified and readily distinguishable from each other. Where necessary,
they shall be identified by using either symbols or wording to indicate their function or the consequence of their use.
The colour coding of push buttons shall comply with AS 1318.
3.10.9 Handwheels Handwheels used for manually-operated mechanisms, which can also be power driven, shall either
be freewheeling, or of a solid type without spokes, handholds or handwheel pegs.
3.10.10 Multi-station machines On multi-station machines where controls are duplicated, for example one set of
controls inside and another outside a sound enclosure, wherever practicable they shall be so arranged that when either
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set of controls is operable the other set is automatically isolated, except for the emergency stop button. If this is not
practicable, a set of appropriate safe working practices shall be developed and enforced. Provision for complete electrical
isolation overriding all controls shall be made at the main control station.
3.10.11 Machines in combination Where a central control station is used to operate a combination of machines linked
by transfer equipment to form a production unit, the following requirements shall apply:
(a) The controls for starting, stopping or otherwise operating the machines and other devices shall all be within easy
reach of a centralized operator position.
(b) The operator position shall be located so as to allow the operator adequate vision for control of the whole process.
(c) Each machine shall have an emergency stop button located on the machine within easy reach of any person setting,
maintaining or separately operating that machine.
(d) The stopping of any machine or any one part of a production unit shall not create a hazard.
3.10.12 Captive key systems A captive key system is typically used to control access to a dangerous location such
as the area within a perimeter-fence guard (see Clause 3.13(b)). The system, in its simple form, comprises a key which
is needed to actuate the machine control, and cannot be removed while the control is operative. The same key is required
to unlock an access door or gate to the dangerous location, and cannot be removed from the lock while the gate or door
is open.
3.10.13 Two-hand controls Two-hand controls shall be used only as an adjunct to guards, and not as a substitute.
They shall have the following features:
(a) Buttons on both control units shall be shrouded or recessed.
(b) Either button must be pressed within 0.5 seconds of the other to actuate a start, i.e. it shall not be possible to start
the machine if one button has been previously jammed or held in.
(c) The buttons must be positioned sufficiently far apart that operation with one hand only is not possible.
3.11 BRAKING SYSTEMS Braking systems shall be designed to bring dangerous moving parts reliably to rest as
quickly as possible.
As the braking capacity is related to the momentum of the moving parts, their momentum shall be kept as low as the
application permits and, in particular, the possibility of inserting a clutch mechanism should be considered as a means
of limiting the momentum to be dealt with by the brake.
Rotating parts and equipment fastened to rotating parts shall be secured so as to prevent dislodgement in consequence
of the brake action. Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent disengagement of screwed components due to
reversed torque following brake application.

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It is recommended that a braking device be provided to control ‘coasting’. The practice of stopping blade rotation by
placing a piece of wood against the rotating blade shall be prohibited.
3.12 HUMAN LIMITATIONS Designers should take account of human limitations at the initial stages of designing
or modifying woodworking machines, by ensuring that—
(a) atmospheric conditions (e.g. levels of dust and fumes), noise levels, and lighting are maintained at a level where
operator control ability or safety is not impaired;
(b) the whole of the work area is visible to the operator;
(c) visible or audible signals, especially those warning of danger, can be readily distinguished against any background
noise, visual distraction or glare;
(d) emergency procedures are as simple to perform as possible; and
(e) an operator is not overloaded with information, especially in a critical safety situation.
3.13 PHYSICAL GUARDS Requirements for the design and construction of guards are given in Appendix B. The
types of guard in general use on woodworking machines are as follows:
(a) Fixed guard A fixed guard is a guard which has no moving parts (see Figure 3.5).
The guard shall, by its design, prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery. It shall be of robust
construction, sufficient to withstand the stresses of the work process.
If the guard needs to be opened or removed, this shall only be possible with the aid of a tool. Preferably, the
fastenings should be of the captive type. The guard shall be securely fixed in position when the machinery is in
motion or is likely to be in motion.
When it is necessary for work to be fed through the guard, openings shall be sufficient only to allow the passage
of material but shall not create a trap between the material and the guard. If access to the dangerous parts cannot
be prevented by the use of a fixed guard with a plain opening, then a tunnel of sufficient length shall be provided.
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(b) Distance guard A distance guard is a guard which does not completely enclose a hazard but reduces access by
virtue of its physical dimensions and its distance from the hazard (see Figure 3.6).
A distance guard which completely surrounds machinery is commonly called a perimeter-fence guard.
Where a distance guard such as a perimeter-fence is used, access to hazards shall be prevented by one or more of
the following:
(i) Provision of a captive key system (see Clause 3.10.12).
(ii) Provision of an interlocking access gate (see Sub-clause (e)).
(iii) Provision of physical guards or guarding by other means such as non-contact devices, so as to prevent a
stand-in condition occurring.

FIGURE 3.5 CIRCULAR SAW BENCH SHOWING A FIXED ENCLOSURE GUARD

UNDER THE BENCH COVERING THE SAW BLADE

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NOTE: The guard protects persons passing in the vicinity of the handling equipment. The machine controls are situated
outside the guard.

FIGURE 3.6 FIXED DISTANCE GUARD SURROUNDING

SANDING MACHINES AND WORK HANDLING EQUIPMENT

(c) Interlocking guard An interlocking guard is a guard which is movable or has a movable part, the movement being
interconnected with the power or control system of the machine.
An interlocking guard shall be connected to the machine controls so that—
(i) until the guard is closed, the interlock prevents the machinery from operating by interrupting the power
medium; or
(ii) either the guard remains closed and locked until the risk of injury from the hazard has passed or opening the
guard causes the hazard to be eliminated before access is possible.
The interlocking system may be mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic or any combination of these. The
interlocking system shall be of failure-to-safety design and shall not be readily breached.
(d) Interlocking enclosure guard An interlocking enclosure guard is an interlocking guard which, when in position,
prevents access to a danger point or area by enclosure. (See Figure 3.7.)
(e) Interlocking distance guard An interlocking distance guard is an interlocking guard which does not completely
enclose a hazard but which reduces access by virtue of its physical dimensions and its distance from the hazard,
e.g. an interlocking access gate or a removable section in a perimeter-fence type guard (See Figure 3.8).

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FIGURE 3.7 MULTI-SPINDLE PLANING AND MOULDING MACHINE FITTED WITH A

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COMBINED INTERLOCKING GUARD AND A CLOSE-FITTING NOISE ENCLOSURE

NOTE: The guard comprises fixed panels and interlocking access panels which permit examination and
maintenance without the need for bodily access. The machine controls are outside the guard.

FIGURE 3.8 INTERLOCKING DISTANCE GUARD

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(f) Adjustable guard An adjustable guard is a fixed or movable guard which provides an opening to the machinery
through which material can be fed, the whole guard or part of it being capable of adjustment in order that the
opening can be varied in height and width to suit the dimension of the work in hand. The adjustment remains fixed
during a particular operation.
It is essential that the adjustment is carefully carried out by a suitably trained and supervised person. Regular
maintenance of the fixing arrangements is necessary to ensure that the adjustable element of the guard remains
firmly in place when once positioned. The guard should be designed so that the adjustable parts cannot easily
become detached and mislaid.
Where it is impracticable to prevent access to the dangerous parts because they are unavoidably exposed during
use, an adjustable guard may be permitted in conjunction with other closely supervised conditions, e.g. a sound
floor, good lighting, adequate training and supervision of the operator, and safe work practices.
Consideration should be given to the use of feeding and take-off devices, jigs and fixtures when this type of guard
is used.
(g) Self-adjusting guard A self-adjusting guard is a fixed or movable guard which, either in whole or in part, adjusts
itself to accommodate the passage of the workpiece (see Figure 3.9).
This type of protection is designed to prevent access to the dangerous part(s) until actuated by the movement of
the workpiece, i.e. it is designed to be opened by the passage of the workpiece at the beginning of the operation
and to return to the safe position on completion of the operation.
Consideration should be given to the use of feeding and take-off devices, jigs and fixtures when this type of guard
is used.
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FIGURE 3.9 SELF-ADJUSTING GUARDING ARRANGEMENT FOR

SNIPPER CROSS-CUTTING SAWING MACHINE

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FIGURE 3.10 BEAM PANEL SAWING MACHINE FITTED WITH A TRIP BAR
3.14 SAFETY TRIP DEVICES A safety trip is a device which causes working machinery to stop or assume an
otherwise safe condition, when a person approaches a danger point or area beyond a safe limit. The device will also be
required to keep the machine in a safe condition while the person remains within the danger area unless other means
of fulfilling this function are provided.
A safety trip shall be designed to ensure that an approach to a dangerous part beyond a safe limit causes the trip device
to operate and the dangerous part to stop so that there is no risk of injury. The effective performance of a safety trip
device depends on the stopping characteristics of the machinery. A brake may be necessary (see Clause 3.11).
A safety trip shall be designed so that after it has been actuated, re-starting shall only be by means of a further actuation
of the normal start button. An electrical or electronic trip shall be so designed that its effective operation will not be
impaired by any function of the machinery or by extraneous influences (see Figure 3.10).
3.15 SELECTION OF SAFEGUARDS
13.15.1 General In selecting an appropriate safeguard for a woodworking machine it should be borne in mind that
the simplest and most inherently safe device is a fixed guard. It should always be used where access to the danger area
is not required during the operation of the machine or for cleaning, setting or other routine activities.
As the need for access arises, fixed guards need to be replaced by interlocking or adjustable guards, together with other
safety devices and safe working practices. The requirements for interlocking and safe working practices will become
more stringent as the level of risk increases.
A combination of safeguards may be required. For example, where, in conjunction with a fixed guard, a mechanical feed
device is employed to feed a workpiece into a machine, thereby removing the need for access to the primary danger
point, a safety trip may be required to protect against the secondary danger of trapping between the mechanical feed
device and the fixed guard.

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3.15.2 Safeguards where access to the danger area is not required during normal operation of the machine The
following safeguards should be considered for use in the order listed, with each successive method only to be considered
if the one before it is not practicable:
(a) Fixed guard including, where necessary, feeding and take-off devices or a false table.
(b) Distance guard, including a barrier of adequate height, or a tunnel guard.
(c) Interlocking guard. If the dangerous parts are likely to over-run after the power has been disconnected, a time delay
device or a brake or both shall be provided to prevent access to moving parts.
3.15.3 Safeguards where access to the danger area is required during normal operation of the machine The
following safeguards should be considered for use in the order listed, with each successive method only to be considered
if the one before it is not practicable:
(a) Interlocking guard.
(b) Self-adjusting guard. A self-adjusting guard is acceptable where it is operated by the workpiece and the danger area
is enclosed before, during and after the operation by either the guard or the workpiece.
(c) Adjustable guard.
(d) Safety trip device (see Figure 3.10), which can include a mechanical trip device or barrier, or a non-contact guard
system (e.g. a photo-electric guard) effectively interlocked and monitored with the machine control.
NOTE: Pressure sensitive devices can usually be used only as a secondary measure in conjunction with the devices described above, unless
allowable as a primary measure by the regulatory authority.
(e) Two-hand control device. A two-hand control device is acceptable only in conjunction with other guarding. It
protects only the person operating the control device and does not prevent others in the vicinity from gaining access
to the dangerous parts (see Clause 3.10.13).
A combination of two or more of the above devices may be needed to obtain complete protection.
3.15.4 Safeguards where access to the danger area is required when normal safeguards are disturbed When
persons require access to the danger area, e.g. for installation and commissioning, machine setting, process correction
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or maintenance, operational safeguards may not be fully effective. The safeguard provided for the protection of the
operator may not provide the same measure of safety for setters, maintenance personnel and others who—
(a) are forced to disturb the safeguarding requirements effective during the normal operation to carry out their work;
or
(b) may be out of sight and exposed to danger if the machinery is switched on.
In these circumstances safe working practices such as locked isolation shall be used.
3.16 OTHER SAFETY DEVICES
3.16.1 General Safety devices not already covered in this Section include the following:
(a) Jigs and holders.
(b) Push sticks.
(c) Push blocks.
(d) Spikes.
(e) False fences.
(f) Ring fences or guides.
(g) Back-stops and front-stops.
(h) Pressure pads and hold-down devices.
Particular requirements for the use of these devices are given below.
3.16.2 Jigs and holders Jigs shall be designed to keep the operator’s hands at a safe distance from the cutters, and
to allow the operator to hold the workpiece firmly. A jig shall also allow for the quick and accurate location of the
workpiece.
The jig shall be loaded in a safe position.
Combined jigs and holders should be used to provide extra safety when machining small workpieces, such as wedges,
where the operator’s hand would otherwise be close to the cutters.
All jigs and holders shall be provided with hand-holds (see Figure 3.11) of sufficient strength to allow the operator to
resist the effects of snatching. Spring clamps shall not be used as hand-holds.
A wooden template shall not be used as a jig or a holder. Its sole function is to determine the line of the cut.
3.16.3 Push sticks Push sticks shall be provided for use on all hand-fed circular sawing machines and on all hand-fed
spindle moulding machines. They may also be provided for other machines (see Figure 3.12).
3.16.4 Push blocks Push blocks shall be used on hand-fed surface planing and similar machines when feeding short
workpieces such that it is necessary to push the workpiece beyond the safe limit (see Figure 3.13).

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FIGURE 3.11 JIG FOR WORK AT A VERTICAL SPINDLE MOULDING MACHINE

NOTE: Take-off table is not shown.

FIGURE 3.12 PUSH STICK IN USE ON A CIRCULAR SAWING MACHINE

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FIGURE 3.13 PUSH BLOCK FOR USE ON A SURFACE PLANING MACHINE FOR
FEEDING SHORT WORKPIECES BETWEEN A SWING-AWAY GUARD AND THE FENCE

3.16.5 Spikes It may not be practicable to use jigs or holders when working with small complicated shapes on
machines such as vertical spindle moulders and high speed routers. Spikes should be used only when neither of the other
options is practicable.
The spike shall be securely fixed to a wooden handle by means of a tang and ferrule or a wire binding (see Figure 3.14).
3.16.6 False fences Where straight fences are being used to guide the work, for example the two halves of the straight
fence on a vertical spindle moulding machine, the gap between them shall be reduced as far as practicable by the use
of a false fence (see Figure 3.15).
3.16.7 Ring fences or guides A false fence may not be appropriate for ‘curved work’, that is when machining a curved
surface. In this case, an eccentric ring guide may be used in conjunction with a suitable guard together, where
practicable, with a jig or holder (see Figure 3.16).
3.16.8 Back-stops and front-stops Where it is not practicable to hold the workpiece in a jig or holder, a solid
back-stop is essential to resist any backward movement of the workpiece if the cutters snatch on ‘stopped work’. The
back-stop may be fixed to the false fence or a false table, for example, in the case of a vertical spindle moulding
machine, or to the table of the machine, depending upon the machining operation (see Figure 3.15). Back-stops are
desirable even when a jig or holder is used.
3.16.9 Pressure pad hold-down devices The use of pressure pads for certain machining operations can result in the
effective guarding of the cutters, e.g. when a surface planing machine is used for rebating, the workpiece may be fed
through a tunnel formed by pressure pads sometimes referred to as Shaw guards (see Figure 3.17).

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FIGURE 3.14 A STEEL SPIKE FOR USE ON A VERTICAL SPINDLE MOULDING MACHINE
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FIGURE 3.15 VERTICAL SPINDLE MOULDING MACHINE WITH

FALSE FENCE FITTED WITH BACK-STOPS AND FRONT-STOPS

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FIGURE 3.16 A RING FENCE AND BONNET GUARD FITTED

TO A VERTICAL SPINDLE MOULDING MACHINE

FIGURE 3.17 PRESSURE PADS (SHAW GUARD) ON A PLANING MACHINE USED FOR REBATING

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3.17 DUST EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT The user of any woodworking machine shall take all practicable measures
to protect persons employed against effects of dust and fumes.
Any part of a machine which gives rise to dust shall be fitted with an enclosure, or effective partial enclosure arranged
so that the enclosure can be connected to the user’s dust extraction system.
Where an extraction system is supplied with the machine, the designer or manufacturer of the extraction equipment, in
taking account of the potentially explosive nature of wood dust, shall provide the necessary safeguards, e.g. flameproof
electric motors and fittings, explosion relief, together with appropriate warning information.
If extraction hoods are to perform the dual function of exhausting wood chips and guarding cutters they shall guard the
cutters as completely as practicable and be strong enough to retain ejected material including the cutters. Where the
position of the cutter heads can be varied, the hoods shall be designed either to move with them automatically if
practicable, or to be manually adjusted.
Where an extraction exhaust opening is provided on a guard or extraction hood but it is not connected to an extraction
system because of the limited use of the machine, the opening should be modified or closed off to prevent unsafe access
to the cutters.
3.18 NOISE REDUCTION
3.18.1 General Woodworking machines shall be designed and constructed to operate as quietly as practicable and to
ensure that operator exposure conforms to legal requirements as determined by the relevant regulatory authority (see
also AS 1269).
The following requirements and recommendations will assist in achieving that objective.
3.18.2 Elimination or avoidance of noise hazard (including measures to reduce the scale of possible injury) There
are many ways of reducing noise. For example, noise reductions are possible by incorporating, as an integral part of the
design, one or more of the following features:
(a) Modified tooling, e.g. circular saw blades of composite construction, helical-blades or segmental cutterblocks for
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planers and moulders.

(b) Vibration damping devices for circular saw blades (see Figure 3.18).

FIGURE 3.18 METHOD OF ACHIEVING VIBRATION DAMPING OF CIRCULAR SAW BLADES

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(c) Reduction of spindle speeds and in certain cases, feed rates (in so far as this is practicable or desirable).
(d) Vibration damping by the restraining of workpieces.
(e) Noise absorption by means of cladding, screens, curtaining and enclosures.
(f) Vibration damping by isolation of elements, e.g. vibration isolation of router heads.
(g) Improvements of airflow characteristics, e.g. streamlining shells around cutterblocks, perforation or ‘toothing’ of
table lips for planers.
(h) Optimization of chip extraction systems to reduce aerodynamic noise.
(i) Maintenance of cutters in clean, sharp, undamaged condition.
Many of these features can be applied to existing machines.
3.18.3 Machine enclosures Where machines remain noisy it may be necessary to provide a partial (integral) or
complete noise enclosure dependent upon the degree of noise reduction required.
3.18.3.1 Partial (integral) enclosures Partial enclosures can effectively provide local control of noisy parts of some
machines. Since they are usually mounted on the machine (integral enclosures), it may be necessary to mount them on
anti-vibration material to control structure-borne noise. An improvement in performance can be achieved by lining with
absorptive material.
It will often be possible to design a combined integral noise control enclosure and safety guard (see Figure 3.7), but if
this is done, care shall be taken to ensure that the necessary safety standards can be maintained in service.
The integral noise enclosure has many advantages over the complete enclosure in that it, for example—
(a) reduces the floor area in relation to machine size;
(b) reduces installation time;
(c) improves communication between infeed and outfeed operators;
(d) reduces risk by preventing the operator working within the enclosure;
(e) simplifies design by removing the need to extend electrical controls outside the enclosure;
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(f) permits certain adjustment, for example, to feeds and speeds, from outside the enclosure; and
(g) increases visibility of the machining process.
3.18.3.2 Complete enclosures Complete noise enclosures, e.g. as shown in Figure 3.19, should incorporate the
following:
(a) A heavy outer skin to contain the noise.
(b) A noise-absorbent lining such as mineral fibre.
(c) Sufficient windows of safety glass or suitable plastics to allow clear viewing while retaining adequate noise
reduction.
(d) Adequate internal lighting.
(e) Mounting so as to limit vibration through the floor.
(f) Tailoring around any feed/delivery conveyors and service ducting to prevent the escape or transmission of noise.
Openings should be as small as possible and noise escape can be reduced by the use of sound absorbing tunnels
and suitable flaps or fingers.
(g) Provision of noise reducing feed and delivery tunnels if timber is likely to transmit noise outside the enclosure.
Within a complete enclosure, there shall be either full independent guarding of all dangerous parts in motion, or control
of access into the enclosure by—
(i) interlocking the access gates or doors with the machine control; or
(ii) providing a captive key (see Clause 3.10.12) or other isolation system which will deny unsupervised entry.
In either case, there shall be external visual indication if the enclosure has been entered.
NOTE: Adequate ventilation is needed to control heat build-up or to avoid creation of an explosive atmosphere.
3.18.4 Work-place noise reduction The transmission of noise from the source to the work-place can be reduced by
one or more of the following:
(a) Screens and barriers, either freestanding or machine-mounted.
(b) Sound-absorbing material in workrooms.
(c) Anti-vibration mountings under machines to reduce structure-borne noise.
(d) Separation of noisy processes by time or distance to restrict the number of people exposed to high noise levels.
(e) Restriction on the length of time persons are exposed to high noise levels, for example, provision of noise refuges
which workers can enter when not actually operating ‘noisy’ machines.

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FIGURE 3.19 GENERAL VIEW OF NOISE ENCLOSURE FOR A BAND RESAWING MACHINE
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The effect of a screen or barrier will be to reflect noise generated by the machine. It may be necessary to consider
whether the barrier surface or nearby room surfaces should be lined with sound-absorbing material to control reflection
of noise.
NOTE: The suggested absorbent techniques only affect ambient noise levels. They will have little effect on direct and close exposure to a noisy
machine.
If, after the implementation of all practicable and reasonable noise reduction measures, a noise hazard still exists,
personal ear protection should be used (see AS 1270).
Although sometimes unavoidable, it is undesirable for operators to have to wear ear protection throughout a working
shift. Rotation of duties with work in less noisy surroundings should be considered as an alternative.
3.18.5 Provision of information by suppliers of woodworking machines The information provided by suppliers
should be sufficient to allow the user to estimate the likely exposure of operators to noise, and to select machines and
plan factory layouts accordingly (see Clause 6.1). Where the noise is likely to vary significantly with operating
conditions (e.g. the type of wood to be machined), the range of levels likely to be encountered should be provided.
Detailed information should be provided by suppliers as follows:
(a) Noise levels at the operator’s and other specified positions around the machine These should be given for all
foreseeable uses of the machine. The measurements are to be representative of those likely to be encountered during
normal use.
In certain cases, for example, small hand-held tools, a statement of the sound power level together with information
on the directional properties of the sound may be adequate.
The purchaser may need to obtain additional information from the supplier if the machine is to be used for unusual
or extreme applications.
(b) Overall noise level (for machine comparison) The A-weighted sound power level of the machine should be given.
This will entail provision of data on sound pressure levels at a series of points around the machine under standard
operating conditions in a testing environment defined according to AS 1217.1.
(c) Supporting information If the noise produced by the machine during start-up, commissioning, adjustment or
abnormal but foreseeable operation is likely to be significantly higher than during normal use, this information
should also be supplied.
Where machines are tested in isolation it will be necessary to make an allowance for the increase in noise level at
operator positions likely to arise from factors such as—
(i) installation near other machines;
(ii) installation in reverberant surrounds; and
(iii) cutter wear.

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SECTION 4 SAFE OPERATION AND OPERATOR TRAINING

4.1 GENERAL To maintain a safe working environment in a woodworking machine shop it is necessary to ensure
that not only are the requirements of this Standard met in respect of the machines themselves, i.e. design, maintenance,
provision of ancillary equipment, etc., but that operators are properly trained (which includes the provision of both
information and instruction) in the safe and healthy use of their machines and related safe working practices. Typical
of the most commonly encountered safety issues in a woodworking machine shop are the following:
(a) Incorrect use of guards, jigs and other safety devices such as push sticks and blocks.
(b) Lack of properly established safe working practices where there are, of necessity, exposed cutting tools and edges.
(c) Lack of hearing protection in the vicinity of machines emitting noise at high levels.
In addition to the recommendations given in this Section, reference should also be made to—
(i) AS 1470, which outlines aspects of management, supervision, and selection and training of personnel; and
(ii) AS 1269, which deals with hearing conservation.
4.2 TRAINING AND SUPERVISION The training of woodworking machine operators should include full instruction
on the machines to be used, the class of work to be done, and the relevant safety regulations and other operating and
safety requirements (see Clause 4.3) including the ability to recognize faults.
NOTE: There may be statutory restrictions on the employment of young persons on certain machines unless statutory obligations have been fulfilled.
As an adjunct to the training of operators in fault recognition, it is essential that there be well-defined arrangements for
reporting such matters and that operators can be confident that fault reporting will be followed up promptly.
Training should also be given to any person assisting at the machine.
Each operator should be closely supervised by a person with thorough knowledge of the machine until it is demonstrated
that the operator is fully conversant with the machine and associated duties. On-going supervision at an appropriate level
should also be maintained to ensure that safe practices are continuing to be followed, and machines are working in a
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safe and proper manner.

4.3 MODEL INSTRUCTIONS Appendix C gives a list of model instructions for the training of operators in the safe
operation of woodworking machines generally.
Appendix D gives suggested instructions to be included in the training of operators in specific types of machine.

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SECTION 5 MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION

5.1 GENERAL All maintenance and inspection specified or referred to in this Section shall be carried out by a
competent person or persons, who shall be adequately trained, suitably qualified, and appropriately experienced for the
class or kind of work in which the person is engaged, as assessed by the owner or other person having legal
responsibility for the operation and safety of the equipment.
5.2 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS—ROUTINE
5.2.1 Circular saw blades Dull, badly set, improperly filed, or improperly tensioned saw blades shall be immediately
removed from service before they cause the material to stick, jam, or kick back when it is fed to the saw at normal
speed. Saw blades to which gum has adhered on the sides shall be cleaned before the thickness of the gum is two-thirds
the tooth set. It is strongly recommended that users obtain and follow instruction from the saw blade manufacturers for
the proper maintenance of all saw blades.
5.2.2 Band saws Band saw wheels should be kept clean and free from accumulations of sap, gum or resins.
5.2.3 Knives and cutting heads All knives and cutting heads of woodworking machines shall be kept sharp, properly
adjusted and firmly secured. Cutting heads shall not generate tactile vibration.
5.2.4 Cutting tools Mounted cutting tools or cutting tool arbors, or both, shall be free of excessive lateral and radial
play. Bearings shall have proper lubrication.
5.2.5 Sharpening and tensioning The sharpening and tensioning of saw blades or cutters shall be done only by
persons of demonstrated skill in this kind of work. Tipped saw blades and cutters require special attention in sharpening
and the maker’s instructions shall be followed.
5.2.6 Lubrication Particular attention is to be paid to lubrication schedules recommended by the manufacturer of the
machine. The oil or grease used for lubrication shall be of the grade recommended by the manufacturer.
5.2.7 Housekeeping Cleanliness around woodworking machinery shall be maintained to ensure proper functioning of
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guards, bearings, motors, and electrical equipment, and to prevent fire hazards and tripping hazards.
5.3 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS—PERIODIC
5.3.1 Circular saw blades Each saw blade shall be examined as it is fitted or removed from the machine and at
suitable intervals to detect cracks or other defects.
Saw blades which are warped or otherwise defective shall be removed from service and shall not be used until they have
been inspected and repaired by a skilled sawdoctor. Cracked blades shall be rendered unusable. If a sawdoctor is not
available, saw blades shall be returned to the manufacturer for welding, slotting, or tensioning as required.
Where carrying saw blades to and from the machine may be a hazard, a suitable carrying jig shall be provided.
During sharpening, saw blades shall be kept concentric with the spindle.
5.3.2 Saw benches The machine table and gap piece (finger plate) shall be constructed so that packing, suitable for
the diameter and gauge of the saw blade to be used, may be fitted. The throat pieces or nose blocks shall be renewed
before they become extensively worn.
5.3.3 Bandsaws Band wheels shall be inspected and tested at frequent intervals by a person competent to detect cracks,
loose spokes or other defects of the wheel and rim. Any wheel in which a defect is found shall be repaired before further
use.
Bandsaw blades shall be checked for cracks, faulty joints and misalignment, and repaired before further use.
The wearing parts of the guides shall be regularly inspected and renewed before they become dangerously worn.
5.3.4 Threaded components All threaded components that are used to secure cutters and saws shall be regularly
inspected to ensure that no hazard is caused by overtightening, wear, stretched threads, necking or wasting, and that the
component holds the cutter securely. When cutter bolts fit dovetailed slots, they shall be regularly inspected to ensure
that only that portion of the bolt designed to fit the hole in the cutter protrudes beyond the slot.
5.4 INSPECTION PROGRAM An inspection program shall be organized with a view to keeping machines, tools,
ventilation equipment and guards in a safe operating condition.
The program shall include regular inspection of safeguards together with all items listed in Clauses 5.2 and 5.3, to ensure
that the requisite standard of safety is maintained. Reference should be made to supplier’s specifications, and, if
necessary, the original design specifications, regarding the vital components of a safeguard, e.g. switches, relays and
valves, when deciding their useful life.

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Those carrying out inspection and maintenance should be thoroughly familiar with the recommendations made by the
machine manufacturers (see Section 6).
Each of the items referred to above shall be inspected by a competent person (see Clause 5.1) at the intervals
recommended by the manufacturer for each item or, in the absence of such a recommendation for any item, at intervals
assessed by the inspecting person in light of likely maximum rates of wear, deterioration, or other related factors.
In addition to the above, each entire machine is to be inspected by a competent person at least once every six months,
or at any lesser interval recommended by the manufacturer, and a tag or card affixed to the machine marked with at
least the following:
(a) Machine number.
(b) Inspection date.
(c) Period of validity.
(d) Whether the machine is serviceable.
(e) Signature of the person making the inspection.
Results of such inspections shall be recorded and kept for a minimum period of 12 months.
5.5 REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS Action shall be taken immediately on any repairs or required maintenance
shown by inspection to be needed. A record of repairs shall be kept.
Repairs or other maintenance activity on a machine shall not in any way change it from the original design specification.
Where alterations are proposed, these shall be authorized only by, or on behalf of, the person having legal responsibility
for the machine and shall result in an altered machine meeting all of the relevant requirements of this Standard.
Alterations shall not conflict with any designer’s or manufacturer’s recommendations without consultation with the
supplier.
5.6 UNSERVICEABLE MACHINES If, on inspection, a machine is found to be unserviceable such that further use
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could result in an accident or machine failure, the machine shall be isolated from the power source.
5.7 DISCONNECTION OF POWER If inspection or maintenance work entails the removal of guards, power shall
be disconnected from the machine. The control shall be locked in the ‘off’ position.

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SECTION 6 PROVISION OF INFORMATION BY THE MANUFACTURER OR SUPPLIER

6.1 INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS Manufacturers and suppliers shall
provide adequate information about the use for which their machines have been designed and tested and about any
conditions necessary to ensure that the machine can be used safely and without risk to health. They shall provide with
each machine sufficient information for the correct installation, operation, and maintenance of the machine, including
any necessary specialized training material.
Particular attention shall be given to—
(a) lifting, including the mass of the machine and its equipment, transporting, installation and commissioning;
(b) start-up, including preparation before starting;
(c) operation, i.e. description of controls and their functions;
(d) shut-down;
(e) maintenance, including tool changing, adjustment, cleaning and lubrication instructions;
(f) extraction equipment and the maintenance of effective dust control;
(g) noise, i.e. methods of measurement and noise reduction (see Clause 3.18.5); and
(h) safeguarding—
(i) for machines supplied without tooling, the supplier should indicate that the purchaser may need to provide
additional safeguards in certain circumstances; and
(ii) for machines supplied with tooling for a specific workpiece, or range of workpieces, the supplier should
indicate the need to review the original safeguards if tooling or work type is changed.
Employers shall ensure that the relevant information and training material provided by the supplier is communicated to
installation, operation and maintenance personnel.
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6.2 MACHINE IDENTIFICATION Woodworking machines shall be labelled with the following information:
(a) Name of manufacturer or supplier or both.
(b) Type of machine.
(c) Year of manufacture.
(d) Serial number of machine.
(e) Mass of machine.
Electrical components shall be labelled in accordance with AS 1359.4.

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APPENDIX A
SAFEGUARDING OF SPECIFIC WOODWORKING MACHINES
(Normative)
A1 MACHINES USING CIRCULAR SAWS
A1.1 General Where practicable, hands or other parts of the body shall be prevented from access to dangerous parts
of any machine incorporating a circular saw, by fixed guards or by feeding arrangements.
NOTE: The danger from machines with circular saws is not entirely that of injury resulting from contact with a revolving saw. There is also the
danger of timber being ejected at a very high speed from the saw.
Guide fences shall match the machines on which they are used and be so mounted that they remain stable and parallel
to the saw blade. For deep cutting, consideration should be given to raising the height of the fence by attaching a false
piece.
Push-sticks shall be provided at each machine for use with short or narrow timber.
A1.2 Guards for bench saws
A1.2.1 General Every bench saw shall be provided with a top guard, a back guard and a bottom guard as described
below.
A1.2.2 Top guard A top guard capable of covering all of the saw above the table shall be provided.
The guard shall be securely mounted and shall not be supported by the riving knife or splitter, unless the nature of the
work is such that no other form of mounting is practicable. The guard may take either of the following configurations:
(a) Automatic top guard The guard shall be designed so that on presenting the work to the saw the guard acts in the
following sequence—it is automatically raised—it follows the upper contour of the work, permitting the work to
pass completely through without any exposure of the saw—it returns to the table as the work passes under.
(b) Adjustable top guard Means for readily adjusting the guard, including counterbalancing where necessary, shall be
provided. A hinged side gate on the guide fence side may be provided. On overhead radial arm power-feed bench
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saws, the top guard shall cover as much as is practicable of the saw blade.
A1.2.3 Back guard A back guard consisting of a riving knife or splitter shall be provided. It shall be manufactured
of high grade steel, of thickness as close as possible to that of the saw kerf, and shall have the leading edge chamfered
to provide a lead for passing material. This may require a different riving knife for each gauge of saw used.
A secure mounting for the riving knife shall be provided as near to bench level as possible. The mounting shall provide
for the following adjustments:
(a) Alignment of the knife with the saw.
(b) Distance between the knife and the saw.
(c) Height.
The shape of the riving knife shall follow an arc not exceeding that of the largest saw used on the machine, and the
knife should be capable of being adjusted in height so that its top is not more than 13 mm below the top of the saw teeth
and its leading edge is not more than 13 mm from the saw teeth.
A1.2.4 Bottom guard Access to the whole of the saw below the table shall be prevented by provision of a bottom
guard, and guarding shall be provided to prevent bodily contact with moving parts of the drive mechanism. If sawdust
is to be removed manually, the guard under the table shall extend at least 150 mm below the bottom of the largest saw
blade used, with a clearance of not more than 50 mm between the two sides of the guard at the bottom.
A1.3 Hand-fed ripsaws
A1.3.1 Guards Hand-fed ripsaws shall be equipped with a guard which, except as noted below, will be the hood-type
that will cover the blade at all times when the blade is not in use.
When the blade is in use, the guard shall enclose that portion of the blade above the material. This may be accomplished
by the use of a guard that will automatically adjust to the thickness of the material being cut, or by a fixed or manually
adjusted guard.
The guard shall be so mounted as to ensure that its operation will be positive, reliable, and in alignment with the saw.
The mounting shall be adequate to resist any reasonable side thrust or other force that would disrupt alignment.
If a hood-type guard cannot be used because of unusual shapes or cuts, a jig or fixture that will provide equal safety
for the operator shall be used. On the completion of such operations, the hood-type guard shall be immediately replaced.

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A1.3.2 Spreaders Hand-fed ripsaws shall be equipped with a spreader to minimize the possibility of material squeezing
the saw or of material kickback. The spreader shall be made of tempered steel, or similar, and shall be slightly thinner
than the saw kerf. It shall be of sufficient width to provide adequate stiffness or rigidity to resist any reasonable side
thrust or blow which might bend or throw it out of position. The spreader shall be attached so that it will remain in
alignment with the blade, even when either the saw or table is tilted.
A1.3.3 Anti-kickback device Hand-fed ripsaws shall be equipped with anti-kickback devices to oppose the tendency
of the saw blade to pick up the material or throw it back toward the operator. These devices shall be designed to provide
protection for all thicknesses of material likely to be cut.
A1.4 Cross-cut saws—fixed bench type This Paragraph refers to a circular saw employed for cross-cutting or
cutting-off where the cutting is done by the upper half of the saw. It may have a stationary, sliding, rolling or tilting
table on which the timber is moved to the saw which remains in a fixed position during cutting. The arbor may be
tiltable or there may be more than one arbor.
Each fixed bench type crosscut saw shall be equipped with guards complying with Paragraphs A1.2.2 to A1.2.4, as
appropriate.
The provisions of Paragraph A1.2.4 are met if the rear upper quadrant of the saw blade is enclosed in a guard at all
times.
A1.5 Cross-cut saws—docker type This Paragraph refers to a circular saw employed for cross-cutting or cutting-off
where the cutting is done by the lower half of the blade. The saw may be mounted on a pendulum or radial arm, above
a bench, with the saw being moved toward the timber. The following requirements apply to guarding and operation:
(a) Each cross-cut saw shall be fitted with a top guard so designed and mounted as to provide the maximum practicable
protection in both the cutting and non-cutting positions of the blade.
(b) The top guard should cover at least the upper half of the saw blade and extend over the arbor ends and preferably
be hinged on one side for access to the saw blade.
(c) A guard shall be provided to enclose the lower half of the saw when it is retracted to the non-cutting position
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behind the face of the saw fence.

(d) If trenching cutter heads are intended to be used the guards should be wide enough to accommodate them.
(e) All saws shall be equipped with a device to limit the travel of the saw blade, so that no part of the blade will be
closer than 50 mm horizontally to the front of the saw bench.
NOTE: This requirement may be met by the provision of semicircular or similar extension of the table at the line of the blade so that the
required clearance is obtained.
(f) The cutting stroke shall not be initiated by foot operation.
(g) All saws shall be equipped with a device to ensure that when released at any point of its travel, the saw blade
returns to a position of rest without rebound, at least 25 mm behind the face of the saw fence.
(h) All manually operated saws shall be fitted with handles firmly affixed and well clear of the saw blade teeth.
A1.6 Cross-cut saws—rising blade type This Paragraph refers to a circular saw mounted under a bench, which rises
through the bench and uses the upper part of the blade for cutting.
Activation of the saw feed shall be controlled by the operator’s hands only.
The machine shall be equipped with a guard conforming to either of the following requirements:
(a) Adjustable guard A guard mounted above the bench, capable of enclosing all of the saw blade projected through
the bench. The side faces of the guard shall be capable of being adjusted to the shape of the timber being sawn.
(b) Automatic guard A guard mounted above the bench which automatically encloses the saw blade during its passage
through the timber.
The guard shall be interlocked with the operating controls so that the saw cannot be raised until the guard is in the safe
operating position.
A clamping device to hold the timber securely in position during cutting shall be provided. It shall be interlocked with
the operating controls so that the clamps must be in the hold-down position before the saw can be raised and may be
integral with an automatic guard described above.
The saw beneath the bench shall be equipped with a bottom guard in accordance with Paragraph A1.2.4.
A1.7 Self-feed circular saws
A1.7.1 Guards In addition to the top guards as specified in Paragraph A1.2.2, feed rolls shall be equipped with a guard
to prevent the operator’s hands from coming in contact with the roll nip at any point. The bottom of the guard shall
come down to within 10 mm of the plane formed by the bottom or working surfaces of the feed rolls and be at least
40 mm from the nip point. This distance (10 mm) may be increased to 20 mm provided the lead edge of the guard is
extended to be not less than 140 mm in front of the nip point between the front roll and the work.

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A1.7.2 Anti-kickback devices Self-feed circular ripsaws shall be equipped with sectional anti-kickback devices for
the full width of the feed rolls. They shall be located in front of the saw blade and arranged so as to be in continual
contact with the stock being fed.
A1.8 Radial saws
A1.8.1 Guards Radial saws shall be equipped with guarding that will completely enclose the upper portion of the blade
down to a point that includes the end of the saw arbor. The upper guard shall protect the operator from flying splinters,
broken saw teeth, and sawdust. In the normal at-rest position, the sides of the lower exposed portion of the saw blade
shall be guarded from the tips of the teeth inward radially with no gullet exposure. The guard shall automatically adjust
itself to the thickness of the stock and remain in contact with the stock being cut for the 90° blade position throughout
the full working range. The lower guard shall not inhibit the intended use of the saw.
A1.8.2 Spreaders Radial saws used for ripping shall be provided with a spreader which is aligned with the saw blade.
A1.8.3 Anti-kickback devices Radial saws used for ripping shall be equipped with anti-kickback devices located on both
sides of the saw blade on the outfeed side, so as to oppose the tendency for the blade to pick up the material or to throw
it back toward the operator. These devices shall be designed to provide adequate holding power for all the thicknesses
of material being cut.
A2 BANDSAWS
A2.1 General Bandsaws shall be equipped with means to ensure proper blade tension and to compensate for expansion
and contraction during use. Counterweights, where used for tensioning, shall be enclosed for the full length of their
travel by guards made of mesh or a material which will allow a clear view of the counterweights at all times.
Effective means shall be provided to prevent the accumulation of dust, gum or other residues on the rim face of the band
wheels.
The manufacturer’s recommendations relating to speed, tension, loading, gauge and width of saw blade, and to width
and diameter of band wheels shall be observed.
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NOTE: Where the above information is not supplied, expert advice should be obtained.
A2.2 Enclosing bandsaw blades All portions of the saw blade shall be enclosed or guarded, except for the working
portion of the blade between the bottom of the guide rolls and the table. Bandsaw wheels shall be fully encased. The
outside periphery of the enclosure shall be solid. The front and back of the band wheels shall be enclosed either by solid
material or by wire mesh or perforated metal. The guard for the portion of the blade between the sliding guide and the
upper saw wheel guard shall enclose the saw blade at the front and upper side. This portion of the guard shall be
self-adjusting so that it can rise and fall with the top guide. Effective braking action shall be provided to minimize the
potential hazard of coasting when the machine is shut off and left unattended.
A2.3 Feed rolls Bandsaw feed rolls shall be equipped with guards to prevent the operator’s hands from coming into
contact with the roll nip points. The edge of the guard shall come to within 10 mm of the plane formed by the inside
face of the feed roll in contact with the stock being cut and the work table.
A3 JOINTERS AND PLANERS
A3.1 Cutting heads Hand-fed planers and jointers with horizontal or vertical heads shall be equipped with a cylindrical
cutting head, the knives of which shall not project more than 3 mm beyond the cylindrical body of the head.
Square cutting heads shall not be used.
A3.2 Table opening The opening in the table shall be kept as small as is practicable. The clearance between the edge
of the rear table and the cutting head knives shall be not more than 3 mm. The table throat opening shall be not more
than 65 mm when tables are set or aligned with each other for zero cut.
A3.3 Automatic guards Hand-fed jointers shall be equipped with an automatic guard that will cover all sections of
the cutting head on the working side of the fence or guard. The guard shall be designed to prevent accidental contact
with the revolving knives, shall automatically adjust itself to cover the unused portion of the head and shall remain in
contact with the material at all times.
A3.4 Vertical head jointers Wood jointers with vertical heads shall be equipped with either an exhaust hood or other
guard arranged so as to enclose completely the revolving head, except for a slot of such width necessary for the
application of the material to be jointed.
A4 TENON SAWS
A4.1 Guarding of cutting heads Tenon saws shall have all cutting heads, and saws if used, covered by guards. These
guards shall cover at least the unused part of the periphery of the cutting head.
Where an exhaust system is used, the guard may form part or all of the exhaust hood.

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A4.2 Feed chains and sprockets Feed chains and sprockets of all double end tenon saws shall be completely enclosed,
except for that portion of chain used for conveying the stock.
At the rear ends of frames over which feed conveyors run, sprockets and chains shall be guarded at the sides by plates
projecting beyond the periphery of sprockets and the ends of lugs.
Where space permits, the rear end of the frame over which the feed conveyors run shall be so extended that the material,
as it leaves the machine, will be guided to a point within easy reach of the person ‘taking away’ at the rear of the tenon
saw.
A4.3 Hand-fed tenon saws Hand-fed tenon saws shall be equipped with a clamping or ‘hold-down’ device on the
fixture.
A5 BORING AND MORTISING MACHINES
A5.1 Chucks Chucks with projecting set screws shall not be used.
A5.2 Chain mortising machines The top of the cutting chain and driving mechanism shall be enclosed.
A5.3 Counterweights Where there is a counterweight, suitable means shall be used to prevent it from dropping.
A5.4 Universal joints Universal joints on spindles of boring machines shall be guarded in such a way as to prevent
accidental contact by the operator.
A5.5 Boring bits Boring bits shall be equipped with a guard that will prevent accidental contact with the bit or chuck
above the material being worked.
A6 WOOD SHAPERS AND SIMILAR MACHINES
A6.1 Safety of cutters Cutters shall be designed so that they are capable of being locked in position to prevent them
flying out of the cutter heads. They shall be of sufficient length to ensure enough bearing to hold the cutter securely.
Cutters shall be properly balanced and free from burrs or other imperfections on the holding surfaces.
When slotted collars are to be used, the cutters shall be of equal mass and their widths shall be the same within a
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tolerance of 0.025 mm.

The nut holding the collars on cutter heads other than solid cutter heads shall be provided with a second nut for locking
purposes. This is particularly important where spindle brakes, reversing spindles or multi-speed motors are used.
All spindles and cutters shall be covered as far as is practicable by guards. The guards shall be adjustable to suit the
work.
Cutters behind the fence shall be totally enclosed; this enclosure may be provided by the use of an exhaust hood which
shall have the same strength as the associated guards.
Where practicable, suitable protection shall be provided around shapers for the purpose of arresting cutters or parts of
them, in the event of their being thrown from the machine.
Where heavy cutters are being used, an overhead bearing is recommended.
A6.2 Other safety precautions The machine shall be fitted with a main spindle lock to enable the retaining nuts to
be tightened. Wrenches should be two-handled to enable correct pressure to be applied without applying a bending force
to the spindle.
Spacing collars and nuts shall be machined so that the bearing surfaces are truly parallel and square to the spindle axis.
Heads or holding devices shall be free from burrs or foreign material.
Spindle speed shall not exceed the limit of safe operation for the particular cutter being used. The maximum permissible
speed should be marked on all milled head types.
Double spindle shapers shall be provided with means for starting and stopping each spindle independently.
Templates, jigs, and fixtures that will keep the operator’s hands away from the point of operation shall be used whenever
the nature of the work will permit.
A7 PLANING, MOULDING, STICKING, AND MATCHING MACHINES
A7.1 Guarding of cutting heads Planing, moulding, sticking, and matching machines shall have all cutting heads and
saws, if used, covered by a guard to enclose as far as practicable the cutting head.
Where an exhaust system is used, the guards may form part or all of the exhaust hood.
A7.2 Feed rolls Feed rolls shall be equipped with a guard or hood to enclose as far as practicable the roll nip points.
The guard shall remain in adjustment for any thickness of stock.
Surfacers or planers used in processing several pieces of material simultaneously shall be equipped with sectional feed
rolls having sufficient yield in the construction of the sections to provide feeding contact pressure on the stock over the
permissible range of stock thickness for which the machine is designed.

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A8 PROFILE AND SWING-HEAD LATHES (INCLUDING WOOD HEEL TURNING MACHINES) Profile
and swing-head lathes shall be guarded as follows:
(a) Profile and swing-head lathes shall have all cutting heads covered by a guard to prevent as far as practicable contact
with the cutting head.
(b) Cutting heads on wood-turning lathes, whether rotating or not, shall be covered as far as practicable by hoods or
shields.
(c) Automatic wood-turning machines of the rotating-knife type shall be equipped with guards enclosing the cutter
blades completely, except at the contact points while the stock is being cut.
(d) Lathes used for turning long pieces of wood stock held only between the two centres should be equipped with
means to prevent the workpiece from being thrown out of the machine.
(e) Guards covering the workpiece in wood-turning lathes shall be so constructed to permit observation of the turning
operations.
(f) Wood-turning lathes should be equipped with suction hoods, properly connected to efficient exhaust systems that
will remove, at their point of origin, the chips and dust produced.
(g) An exhaust system may form part or all of the guard.
(h) Tool rests shall be securely fastened to avoid accidental movement.
A9 SANDING MACHINES
A9.1 Feed rolls Feed rolls of self-feed sanding machines shall be protected with a semicylindrical guard to prevent
the operator’s hands from coming into contact with the roll nip points. The guard and its mounting shall be designed
to remain in adjustment for any thickness of stock.
A9.2 Drum sanding machines Drum sanding machines shall have an exhaust hood, or other guard, arranged so as
to enclose all of the revolving drum except for the working portion above the table.
A9.3 Disc sanding machines Disc sanding machines shall have the exhaust hood, or other guard, arranged so as to
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enclose the revolving disc, except for that portion of the disc above the table.
NOTE: The distance between the disc and the table edge should be kept to a maximum gap of 2 mm at table settings up to 45°.
A9.4 Belt sanding machines Where practicable, belt sanding machines shall have all pulleys enclosed including sides
and periphery. This does not include the working end of an edge sander. An exhaust hood may be part of the guard.
The non-contacting run of the belt shall be guarded.
A10 ROUTERS The pulleys, spindles, and cutting tools of stationary routers shall be guarded.
Where the use of an efficient guard is impracticable, the material being machined shall be held in a jig or other suitable
device which will prevent bodily contact with the cutter.
A11 COMBINATION OR UNIVERSAL WOODWORKING MACHINES For combination or universal
woodworking machines, each point of operation shall be guarded as specified herein for each separate machine.

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APPENDIX B
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF GUARDS
(Normative)
B1 GENERAL Guards shall be designed and constructed with the object of preventing any part of the body from
reaching a danger point or area. The design shall take account of the physical characteristics of the people involved and,
in particular, their ability to reach through openings, and over or around barriers or guards. The dimensions given in
this Appendix are derived from anthropometric measurements in the normal population. In work places where there may
be a predominance of certain age, sex or ethnic groups, variations in dimensions may be needed to accommodate groups
with measurements outside the usual spread, e.g. groups with smaller hands than usual.
No guard shall itself present a hazard such as trapping or shear points, rough or sharp edges or other hazards likely to
cause injury.
Guard mountings shall be compatible with the strength and duty of the guard.
B2 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
B2.1 Structural requirements Guards shall be made of solid material, mesh, or equivalent construction, and shall
be designed to prevent persons reaching into the danger area (see Figure B1).
Sheet metal guards shall be not less than 1.5 mm thick. Mesh guards up to 9 mm mesh shall be not less than 1.5 mm
thick; and guards greater than 9 mm, and up to 50 mm mesh shall be not less than 3 mm thick.
Guards shall not deflect more than 12 mm under a force of 450 N applied at any point on the guard over a square area
of 50 mm side.
These requirements are not intended to exclude materials other than mesh or sheet metal and other methods of
construction (see Paragraph B3), provided that they comply with the requirements for prevention of access.
Where a guard is positioned so that a person may climb or rest upon it, such guard shall be capable of sustaining a mass
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of 75 kg placed in any position upon it, together with a simultaneous force of 220 N applied horizontally in the same
or any other position. The guard shall maintain the required safe clearances.

(a) No admittance (b) Reach restricted to root of finger

(c) Reach restricted to root of thumb (d) Reach restricted to thickness of hand

FIGURE B1 USE OF MESH FOR GUARDS

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B2.2 Reach dimensions (see Figures B2 and B3) The design and construction of guards and their subsequent location
shall be such that the distance of any nip point or shear hazard from the nearest point of access is restricted as follows:
(a) Arm reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 mm from under arm to danger point.
(b) Elbow reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550 mm from the inside elbow to danger point.
(c) Wrist reach .. ..... ..... .... .. .... ..... ..... .. 280 mm from crease of wrist to danger point.
(d) Vertical reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2500 mm from floor surface to danger point.
B2.3 Guard placement The relationship between the size of mesh or other openings in a guard and the distance of
the guard from the danger point shall be as shown in Table B1. The distance between the underside of the guard and
the floor shall not exceed 250 mm.
TABLE B1
PLACEMENT OF MESH GUARDS WITH
RESPECT TO DANGER POINTS
Size of mesh or other Minimum distance between
opening in guard guard and danger point
mm mm
<9 15
9 to < 25 120
25 to < 40 200
≥ 40 1 000
NOTE: An added measure of safety is achieved if circular mesh with diameter equal
to the quoted square mesh side size is provided.

If complete enclosure with a guard is not provided, fence type guards shall be used and the height of the guard and the
distance of the guard from the danger point shall be in accordance with Figure B4.
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(a) Reaching over a barrier

(b) Reaching around a barrier

FIGURE B2 REACHING OVER AND AROUND A BARRIER

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DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES
FIGURE B3 REACH EFFECT OF ADDITIONAL BARRIERS
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LEGEND:
A = height of hazard point relative to the ground or other operating levels
B = height of bar or guard
C = horizontal distance of guard from hazard point

millimetres
C
A
B = 1400 B = 1600 B = 1800 B = 2000 B = 2200
2 400 100 100 100 100 100
2 200 500 500 400 350 250
2 000 700 600 500 350 —
1 800 900 900 600 — —
1 600 900 900 500 — —
1 400 900 800 100 — —
1 200 900 500 — — —
1 000 900 300 — — —
800 600 — — —

FIGURE B4 GUARDING DISTANCES

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B3 MATERIALS
B3.1 General When selecting the material to be used for the construction of a guard, consideration should be given
to the following:
(a) Its ability to withstand the force of ejection of part of the machinery or material being processed, where this is a
foreseeable danger.
(b) Its weight and size in relation to the need to remove and replace it for routine maintenance.
(c) Its strength or rigidity. Where practicable, a guard shall be sufficiently strong and rigid when mounted in position,
so that it cannot be deflected onto the cutter. If however the guard does contact the cutter, it shall still protect the
operator and minimize the risk of cutter disintegration.
(d) Its suitability for the containment of dust and other particles, e.g. sheet material shall be considered in preference
to mesh in such cases.
B3.2 Solid sheet metal Metal has the advantages of strength and rigidity and in solid sheet form is particularly suitable
for guarding transmission systems and machinery at which adjustments are rarely needed and where there is no
advantage in being able to see the working parts. However, care should be taken to ensure that, where necessary,
sufficient ventilation is provided in the guard to prevent machinery from overheating and that the guard does not create
resonance (see also Paragraph B2.1).
B3.3 Metal rod-type materials Guards of metal rod-type materials are used in applications where observation of the
operation is required. They are also used where material needs to be fed, at different levels, through the guard.
B3.4 Perforated and mesh material Guards can also be made from perforated metal, woven mesh, welded wire, metal
lattice and similar materials, all of which enable some sight of the working parts and which can reduce the likelihood
of machine overheating. Requirements for mesh guards are given in Paragraph B2.1. If there are reasons for openings
which would permit the entry of fingers, the distance of the guard from the danger point should be sufficient to prevent
contact.
B3.5 Glass Ordinary glass is unsuitable for guard construction owing to its brittleness but, where an operation is
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required to be observed and the material is likely to be exposed to high temperatures or abrasive action, laminated,
reinforced or toughened glass may be suitable.
B3.6 Plastics Transparent plastics sheet may be used in guarding as an alternative to sheet metal, rods or mesh. This
material is particularly suitable where observation is required during the operation of machinery.
Plastics materials available for guarding purposes include polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate and acrylic
sheet.
The mechanical properties of most plastics may be adversely affected by incorrect cold working and continuous exposure
to high temperatures. The material suppliers should be consulted to ensure that the material chosen is compatible with
the intended application.
NOTES:
1 The transparency of plastics is likely to be impaired with use owing to scratching. Remedial action using polishing compounds may be
practicable in some cases.
2 Most plastics have an ability to hold an electrostatic charge. This can create a risk of electrostatic ignition of flammable materials and can also
attract dust. Use of an antistatic preparation is recommended if this is a problem.
B3.7 Other materials Timber may sometimes be a suitable material for guard construction and is frequently employed
in the woodworking industry to good effect. Where flexibility is required, chain mail, leather, or rubber can be used.
B4 SUPPORTS Guards may be fastened to independent supports or directly to the machinery itself. The number and
spacing of the fixing points should be adequate to ensure stability and rigidity of the guard.
Where necessary, there should be clearance under the guard for cleaning provided that this clearance does not allow
access to the dangerous parts.
B5 COVER PLATES Removable panels or cover plates may be incorporated into guards to provide easy access or
improve visibility. They should be treated as part of the guarding system and may be considered as either fixed or
interlocking guards, depending upon the process.

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APPENDIX C
MODEL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SAFE OPERATION
OF WOODWORKING MACHINES—GENERAL
(Informative)
The following is a list of points which should be covered as part of the training of operators on any item of
woodworking machinery:
(a) The method of starting and stopping the machine.
(b) Hazards which arise in the course of normal working.
(c) Hazards arising from bad practices, inattention and misuse.
(d) The need to ensure that the machine has come to rest before making adjustments or during the manual removal
of waste or sawdust from benches, floors or saw pits, or during the oiling and greasing of machine parts.
(e) The function of the guards and safety devices and the need for ensuring that they are kept in good condition,
properly mounted and in correct adjustment.
(f) How to recognize, as far as possible, faults which may occur in a machine, guard or safety device, how to rectify
those of a minor nature, and the need for reporting to the person in charge those which are beyond the operator’s
authority or competence to rectify.
(g) The need to avoid wearing loose flowing garments and ornaments, and to wear hair either cut short or securely
fixed and confined close to the head by a net or other covering, so as to avoid being caught in the moving parts
of the machinery.
(h) The need to wear appropriate protective clothing or protective safety equipment as follows:
(i) Eye protectors in the vicinity of woodworking machinery and whenever grinders, including saw grinders, are
used (see AS 1337).
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(ii) Ear protectors whenever noise exposure exceeds acceptable limits (see Clause 3.18).
(iii) Safety aprons of leather or other suitable material when handling timber and when exposed to the hazard of
kickback.
(iv) Gloves, except where hands may closely approach moving parts of machinery (see AS 2161).
(v) Safety footwear (see AS 2210).
(i) The need for the operator and any other person to stand out of the line of possible kickback.
(j) The need to keep the machine, workbench and working area free from accumulations of materials, hand tools, trade
waste, oil and grease, sawdust and obstructions of any kind.
(k) The need to turn off the power before leaving the machine, and not to leave it running unattended.
(l) The need to avoid reaching over any cutting tool.
(m) The need to be certain that hold-downs and anti-kickback devices are positioned properly, and that the workpiece
is being fed through the cutting tool in the right direction.
(n) The need to avoid use of a dull, gummy, bent or cracked cutting tool.
(o) The need to ensure that keys and adjusting tools have been removed before turning on the power.
(p) The use of accessories designed specifically for the machine.
(q) The adjustment of the machine to allow minimum exposure of cutting tool necessary to perform the operation.
(r) The scheduling of work to avoid frequent adjustments to machines and altering of the position of guards.
(s) The need to avoid using machines for work beyond their stated capacity or capability, as indicated by the machine
manufacturer.
(t) The need to keep floors around machines clear of wood chips and sawdust which may cause the floor to be
slippery.
In addition to the training of operators in the above points, matters relevant to the specific type of machine, as set out
in Appendix D, should also be covered.

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APPENDIX D
MODEL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SAFE OPERATION
OF SPECIFIC WOODWORKING MACHINES
(Informative)
D1 OPERATION OF CIRCULAR SAWS Operators should be instructed as follows:
(a) Check the condition of the saw blade before it is mounted (see Clause 5.2.1).
(b) Check that the saw blade teeth have sufficient clearance to prevent burning.
(c) Ensure that the blade is a neat sliding fit on the spindle.
(d) Check that the saw blade is balanced or tensioned to avoid vibration and cracking and to be stable throughout the
design speed range.
(e) Ensure that the faces of flanges are clean so that, when tightened, they can exert even pressure.
(f) Ensure that the collars are the largest diameter practicable and, in any case, not less than 2.5 times the diameter
of the saw spindle.
(g) Ensure that all collars are recessed and of adequate thickness.
(h) Ensure that automatically adjusting guards move freely and are functioning correctly.
(i) Ensure that manually adjustable guards are set to the minimum practicable clearance from the timber to be cut.
(j) Ensure that the riving knife is correctly adjusted and securely mounted.
(k) Never remove sawdust from the saw bench table by hand while the saw is running.
(l) Avoid the accumulation of sawdust, waste or stock on the saw table and on the floor in the working area of the
machine.
(m) Never leave the saw unattended with the power turned on.
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(n) Stop the saw and check immediately the condition of the packing, the alignment of the fence and the condition of
the saw blade whenever the stock binds in the cut or is excessively hard to feed.
(o) Use a push-stick at least 300 mm long for short or narrow timber and when removing offcuts from the table.
(p) Ensure that long and heavy pieces of timber are properly supported when being cut.
(q) Ensure that long pieces are properly supported when cross-cutting.
NOTE: A normal saw bench is not suitable for cross-cutting long pieces unless it is fitted with a sliding table capable of giving support for the
full length of the piece. The overhang should not be supported by another worker, as it is difficult to keep rates of feed identical at each end;
if they differ a kickback may occur.
(r) When acting as ‘taker-off’ behind the saw bench, always stand behind the saw and never approach from any other
direction while timber is being sawn.
(s) Never attempt to remove gum or resin from a saw blade in motion. The saw is first to be stopped and the power
isolated before removing gum or resin, using a suitable solvent.
(t) Never insert wedges between the saw blade and the collar to form what is commonly known as a wobble saw.
D2 OPERATION OF PORTABLE CIRCULAR SAWS The use of portable circular saws should be avoided when
saw benches or docking saws are available.
Operators should be instructed to observe Paragraph D1 (a) to (g), (m) and (s) and the following:
(a) Ensure that material is properly supported and secured before sawing.
(b) Ensure that the base plate is in position and securely locked.
(c) Ensure that, where fitted, the riving knife is properly adjusted.
(d) Make sure that the saw blade is not touching anything when the saw is being started.
(e) Never carry the saw with the motor running.
(f) Never start cutting until the work place is cleared and a well-balanced position is adopted.
(g) Keep flexible power leads suspended above ground and away from damp areas.
(h) Ensure that flexible power leads necessarily on the floor are fully protected by non-trip type covering.
D3 OPERATION OF BANDSAWS Operators should be instructed as follows:
(a) Check the tension of the blade before starting, and periodically as the blade temperature changes during use.
Tension should be released from the blade when the machine is not in use.

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(b) See that the side and back thrusts are carefully adjusted to the correct free-running position of the saw blade and
that the top guide is adjusted to a position as close to the work as possible.
(c) Never force heavy work past a small blade.
(d) Never force a wide blade on a cut of small radius.
(e) Stop the saw immediately if the blade develops a ‘click’. This may indicate a cracked blade.
(f) Stop the machine before attempting to back the work away from the saw blade should it bind or pinch, as this may
pull the blade off the band wheels. Should a pinch occur, the blade should be inspected for damage.
(g) Bring the machine to a complete standstill and isolate the power before attempting to remove the blade.
D4 OPERATION OF PLANERS AND JOINTERS
D4.1 General Operators should be instructed as follows:
(a) Check that the cutters are securely fastened.
(b) Check the amount of cut on the blade before using the machine.
(c) Never attempt a heavy cut in short stock.
(d) Avoid cutting across the grain.
(e) Use suitably designed jigs or push-pads that will keep the operator’s hands away from the cutters, where short stock
must be planed.
(f) Advance the material to the cutting head for normal operation by sliding it along the table, never by placing it
directly on the cutting head unless suitable back stops are provided.
(g) Never leave the machine set to a heavy cut, but reduce it to a minimum cut.
D4.2 Jointers Operators should be additionally instructed as follows:
(a) Never joint pieces whose length is less than four times the width of the bed opening, as the hazard from jointing
pieces that are too short is excessive.
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(b) Never adjust either half of the jointer table so that the clearance between the edge of the table and the revolving
knives is more than 6 mm.
(c) Never install or adjust the knife blade so that it protrudes more than 3 mm beyond the cylindrical head.
(d) Use push sticks or push blocks.
D5 OPERATION OF SHAPERS Operators should be instructed as follows:
(a) Check that the top spindle is secure in the main spindle.
(b) Check that the cutters are identical in section, have adequate length to ensure fastening and are accurately balanced.
(c) Ensure that collar faces are free from burrs or foreign material before tightening the cutters in place.
(d) Check that the cutters are securely fastened to the head or spindle.
NOTE: The locknut should never be tightened by using two spanners, one holding the main nut. The locknut should always be tightened by
the use of the spindle lock.
(e) Never stop the spindle by grasping it in the hands.
(f) Avoid over-fast or excessive cuts.
(g) Take special care in machining across the grain.
(h) Ensure that any guide, when used, is correctly fastened and will not slip.
(i) Ensure, where practicable, that a suitable type of false fence or break-through piece is attached to the guide fence.
(j) Avoid allowing hands to come near to any cutters which are in motion.
NOTE: Where this cannot be avoided due to the size of the work, devices such as guides, spring pressure appliances, jigs, fixtures or push-pads
should be provided to maintain firm control of the workpiece. Jigs should be substantially constructed and, where practicable, should have
hand-grips located to keep the operator’s hands away from the cutters.
(k) Avoid back-cutting (cutting with the direction of rotation of the cutters) unless special precautions are taken to hold
the material securely.
(l) Use a back-stop to prevent kickback where it is necessary to ‘drop in’ or ‘break in’.
(m) Never use short or bent cutters on any type of head.
(n) Never remove a guard unless the spindle is at rest and the stop control locked off.
(o) Remove all cutters when removing one, so as to prevent the remaining cutters from being thrown out, should the
machine be accidentally started.
D6 OPERATION OF MOULDING AND MATCHING MACHINES Recommendations under Paragraph D5 which
are appropriate to these machines should be followed.

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D7 OPERATION OF SANDING MACHINES Operators should be instructed as follows:

(a) Ensure that the belt rotation is correct in relation to the lap joint.
(b) Hold the pad firmly and squarely on the work, so that the pad will not tip and throw the hands or fingers against
the belt.
(c) Never attempt to reach between the runs of a sanding belt to pick up objects on the machine table.
(d) Never attempt to remove an excessive amount of material at one time.
(e) Release the belt tension when the belt is not in use.
(f) When using disc sanders, check that the work support table is adjusted to within 2 mm of the abrasive disc.
D8 OPERATION OF LATHES Operators should be instructed as follows:
(a) Take particular care to have all material secured to the faceplate or held properly between centres.
(b) Only perform work on the lathe which is within the size, capacity and speed ranges recommended by the
manufacturer.
(c) Rotate the workpiece by hand to check clearance before engaging power.
(d) Rough out the workpiece on a band saw or other machine to obtain rough balancing before commencement of
turning.
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