(1) You must provide a spreader or riving knife that is:

(a) Made of hard-tempered steel or its equivalent.

(b) Thinner than the saw kerf.

(c) Wide enough to provide sufficient stiffness and rigidity to resist any reasonable side thrust or blow that could bend or throw it out of position.

(d) Attached so it remains in true alignment with the saw when the saw or table is tilted.

Note:	The spreader or riving knife should:
	1. Prevent material from either squeezing the saw or being thrown back at the operator.
	2. Be placed so there is one-half inch or less space between it and the back of the saw when the largest saw is mounted in the machine.

EXEMPTION:

You do not have to provide a spreader or riving knife when grooving, dadoing, or rabbeting. When you finish these operations, replace the spreader immediately.

(2) You must provide nonkickback fingers or dogs that are:

(a) Located so they prevent the saw from either picking up the material or throwing the material back towards the operator.

(b) Designed to hold any thickness of material being cut.

Note:	Kickbacks occur when a saw seizes the stock and hurls it back at the operator. This can happen when the stock twists and binds against the side of the blades or is caught in the teeth. Kickbacks occur more often when cutting parallel to the wood grain (ripping) than when cross cutting. Common contributors to kickbacks include:
	1. A blade that is not sharpened.
	2. A blade set at an incorrect height.
	3. Poor quality lumber, such as frozen lumber, lumber with many knots, or foreign objects, such as nails.

PDFWAC 296-806-48014

Provide kickback protection for employees using hand-fed circular table ripsaws when ripping wood products.