While both horizontal and vertical band saws are generally regarded as some of the safest machine tools in the workshop, however you must still make sure that you take all the necessary measures to ensure you are safe.

Firstly always work with  protective eye coverings like glasses  or goggles. Band saw blades move extremely  fast and even the smallest  piece of waste or debris will be  traveling at high velocity and they are  thrown out in all directions. Even if you are  just doing a 10 second job. It is not worth the risk of  damage to your eyesight.

If your blade  breaks then there will be a lot of  lethal metal in the air. Do not  ever risk eye damage, so just get  into the habit of using eye  protection. And  no, your prescription spectacles do not  provide any protection at all.

Always wear  correct clothes when working with your  saw  This rule applies when you are using  any machine tool, whether they are  for woodworking, metalworking or hedge  trimming. Do not wear loose hanging  clothes, or anything that can  potentially get caught up in the  machine. Wearing a long sleeved shirt  is a definite no, as would be a scarf  or necktie, or hanging jewelery, it is  common sense really.

Checking your machine before you  start operation is a good place to  start. There are lots of  parts to your saw that you need to  ensure are positioned correctly for the job  that you are undertaking. They need  to be checked regularly for signs of damage and change if necessary. If you are  unsure then check the manufacturers  recommendations. You can always give  them a call for further advice, or check out their online customer service section if you can’t find the manual.

Look after your machinery and it will look after you for years to come.

Remember it is always better to be safe rather than sorry when using any machinery.

If you would like even more vertical bandsaw information check out verticalbandsaw at  http:verticalbandsaw.org/band-saw-tires