Safety Instructions for Metal Cutting Saws

• The rated speed of the accessory must be at least equal to the maximum speed marked on the power tool. Accessories running faster than their rated speed can break and fly apart.

• The outside diameter and the thickness of your accessory must be within the capacity rating of your power tool. Incorrectly sized accessories cannot be adequately guarded or controlled.

• Wear personal protective equipment. Depending on application, use face shield, safety goggles or safety glasses. As appropriate, wear dust mask, hearing protectors, gloves and shop apron capable of stopping small abrasive or workpiece fragments. The eye protection must be capable of stopping flying debris generated by various operations. The dust mask or respirator must be capable of filtrating particles generated by your operation. Prolonged exposure to high intensity noise may cause hearing loss.

• Keep bystanders a safe distance away from work area. Anyone entering the work area must wear personal protective equipment. Fragments of workpiece or of a broken saw blade may fly away and cause injury beyond immediate area of operation.

• Position the cord clear of the spinning accessory. If you lose control, the cord may be cut or snagged and your hand or arm may be pulled into the spinning saw blade.

• Regularly clean the power tool’s air vents. The motor’s fan can draw the dust inside the housing and excessive accumulation of powdered metal may cause electrical hazards.

• Do not operate the power tool near flammable materials. Do not operate the power tool while placed on a combustible surface such as wood. Sparks could ignite these materials.

• Do not use accessories that require liquid coolants. Using water or other liquid coolants may result in electrocution or shock.

• Always use undamaged saw blade flanges that are of correct diameter for your selected saw blade. Proper saw blade flanges support the saw blade thus reducing the possibility of saw blade breakage.

• The arbour size of saw blades and flanges must properly fit the spindle of the power tool. Saw blades and flanges with arbour holes that do not match the mounting hardware of the power tool will run out of balance, vibrate excessively and may cause loss of control.

• Do not use damaged saw blades. Before each use, inspect the saw blades for chips and cracks. If the power tool or saw blade is dropped, inspect for damage or install an undamaged saw blade. After inspecting and installing the saw blade, position yourself and bystanders away from the plane of the rotating saw blade and run the power tool at maximum no load speed for one minute. Damaged saw blades will normally break apart during this test time.

• Check the cable regularly and have a damaged cable repaired only by an authorised customer service agent for Bosch power tools. Replace damaged extension cables. This will ensure that the safety of the power tool is maintained.

• Do not use dull, cracked, bent or damaged saw blades. Unsharpened or improperly set saw blades produce narrow kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding and kickback.

• Always use blades with correct size and shape (diamond versus round) of arbour holes. Blades that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw will run off-centre, causing loss of control.

• Make sure that the guard works properly and that it can move freely. Never lock the guard in place when opened.

• Keep the floor free of metal swarf and material remnants. You could slip or trip.

• Operate the power tool only when the work area up to the workpiece is clear of any adjusting tools, metal swarf, etc. Small pieces of metal or other objects that come into contact with the rotating saw blade can strike the operator with high speed.

• Never leave the tool unattended before it has come to a complete stop. Cutting tools that are still running can cause injuries.

• Guide the saw blade against the workpiece only when the saw is switched on. Otherwise there is a risk of kickback occurring if the saw blade catches in the workpiece.

• Never stand on the power tool. Serious injuries may occur if the power tool tips over or if you inadvertently come into contact with the saw blade.

• Only use the power tool for dry cutting. Water entering a power tool increases the risk of electric shock.

• Never make warning signs on the machine unrecognisable.

• The power tool is delivered with a laser warning sign (see table: "Symbols and their meaning").

• Do not make any modifications to the laser equipment. The setting options described in these operating instructions can be used safely.

• Do not use the laser goggles (accessory) as protective goggles. The laser goggles make the laser beam easier to see; they do not protect you against laser radiation.

• Do not use the laser goggles (accessory) as sunglasses or while driving. The laser goggles do not provide full UV protection and impair your ability to see colours.

• Warning! If operating or adjustment devices other than those specified here are used or other procedures are carried out, this can lead to dangerous exposure to radiation.

• Do not replace the integrated laser with a laser of another type. A laser that is not compatible with this power tool could pose a risk to persons.

Kickback and related warnings

• Maintain a firm grip on the power tool and position your body and arm to allow you to resist kickback forces. The operator can control upward kickback forces, if proper precautions are taken.

• Do not position your body in line with the rotating saw blade. If kickback occurs, it will propel the cutting unit upwards toward the operator.

• Do not attach a saw chain, woodcarving blade or segmented diamond wheel with a peripheral gap greater than 10 mm. Such blades create frequent kickback and loss of control.

• Do not “jam” the saw blade or apply excessive pressure. Do not attempt to make an excessive depth of cut. Overstressing the saw blade increases the loading and susceptibility to twisting or binding of the saw blade in the cut and the possibility of kickback or saw blade breakage.

• When the saw blade is binding or when interrupting a cut for any reason, switch off the power tool and hold the cutting unit motionless until the saw blade comes to a complete stop. Never attempt to remove the saw blade from the cut while the saw blade is in motion otherwise kickback may occur. Investigate and take corrective action to eliminate the cause of saw blade binding.

• Do not restart the cutting operation in the workpiece. Let the saw blade reach full speed and carefully re-enter the cut. The saw blade may bind, walk up or kickback if the power tool is restarted in the workpiece.

• Support any oversized workpiece to minimize the risk of saw blade pinching and kickback. Large workpieces tend to sag under their own weight. Supports must be placed under the workpiece near the line of cut and near the edge of the workpiece on both sides of the saw blade.

• Use clamps to support the workpiece whenever possible. If supporting the workpiece by hand, you must always keep your hand at least 100 mm from either side of the saw blade. Do not use this saw to cut pieces that are too small to be securely clamped or held by hand. If your hand is placed too close to the saw blade, there is an increased risk of injury from blade contact.

• The workpiece must be stationary and clamped or held against both the fence and the table. Do not feed the workpiece into the blade or cut “freehand” in any way. Unrestrained or moving workpieces could be thrown at high speeds, causing injury.

• Push the saw through the workpiece. Do not pull the saw through the workpiece. To make a cut, raise the saw head and pull it out over the workpiece without cutting, start the motor, press the saw head down and push the saw through the workpiece. Cutting on the pull stroke is likely to cause the saw blade to climb on top of the workpiece and violently throw the blade assembly towards the operator.

• Never cross your hand over the intended line of cutting either in front or behind the saw blade. Supporting the workpiece “cross handed” i.e. holding the workpiece to the right of the saw blade with your left hand or vice versa is very dangerous.

• Do not reach behind the fence when the saw blade is rotating. Never fail to maintain a safe distance of 100 mm between hand and rotating saw blade (applies to both sides of the saw blade). It might not be possible to tell how close the rotating saw blade is to your hand, and you may be severely injured.

• Inspect your workpiece before cutting. If the workpiece is bowed or warped, clamp it with the outside bowed face toward the fence. Always make certain that there is no gap between the workpiece, fence and table along the line of the cut. Bent or warped workpieces can twist or shift and may cause binding on the spinning saw blade while cutting. There should be no nails or foreign objects in the workpiece.

• Do not use the power tool until the table is free of tools; the workpiece must be the only thing on the table. Small pieces of scrap or other objects that come into contact with the rotating blade can be hurled away at high speed.

• Cut only one workpiece at a time. Stacked multiple workpieces cannot be adequately clamped or braced and may bind on the blade or shift during cutting.

• Ensure the power tool is mounted or placed on a level, firm work surface before use. A level and firm work surface reduces the risk of the power tool becoming unstable.

• Plan your work. Every time you change the bevel or mitre angle setting, make sure the adjustable fence is set correctly to support the workpiece and will not interfere with the blade or the guarding system. Without turning the tool “ON” and with no workpiece on the table, move the saw blade through a complete simulated cut to assure there will be no interference or danger of cutting the fence.

• Provide adequate support such as table extensions, saw horses, etc. for a workpiece that is wider or longer than the table top. Workpieces longer or wider than the power tool table can tip if not securely supported. If the cut-off piece or workpiece tips, it can lift the lower guard or be thrown by the spinning blade.

• Do not use another person as a substitute for a table extension or as additional support. Unstable support for the workpiece can cause the blade to bind or the workpiece to shift during the cutting operation pulling you and the helper into the spinning blade.

• The cut-off piece must not be jammed or pressed by any means against the spinning saw blade. If confined, i.e. using length stops, the cut-off piece could get wedged against the blade and thrown violently.

• Always use a clamp or a fixture designed to properly support round material such as rods or tubing. Rods have a tendency to roll while being cut, causing the blade to “bite” and pull the work with your hand into the blade.

• Let the blade reach full speed before contacting the workpiece. This will reduce the risk of the workpiece being thrown.

• If the workpiece or blade becomes jammed, turn the power tool off. Wait for all moving parts to stop and disconnect the plug from the power source and/or remove the battery pack. Then work to free the jammed material. Continued cutting with a jammed workpiece could cause loss of control or damage to the power tool.

• After finishing the cut, release the switch, hold the saw head down and wait for the blade to stop before removing the cut-off piece. Reaching with your hand near the coasting blade is dangerous.

• Hold the handle firmly when making an incomplete cut or when releasing the switch before the saw head is completely in the down position. The braking action of the saw may cause the saw head to be suddenly pulled downward, causing a risk of injury.

• Never remove cuttings etc. from the cutting area while the power tool is running. Always guide the tool arm back to the neutral position first and then switch the power tool off.

• Do not touch the saw blade after working before it has cooled. The saw blade becomes very hot while working.

• Keep your work area clean. Material mixtures are particularly hazardous. Light metal dust may catch fire or explode.

• Do not use saw blades made from high speed steel (HSS). Such saw blades can easily break.