Observation

Majority of the candidates scored below average on the safety precautions that should be observed when operating a surface planer. Candidates stated general precautions instead of that for the specified machine.

The expected responses are:

            Major operations that are carried out on a band saw machine:
(1)  re-sawing;
(2)  cross-cutting;
(3)  cutting curves;
(4)  straight sawing;
(5)  converting logs to planks;
(6)  combination of straight and curved cuttings;
(7)  joint construction.

Safety precautions that should be observed when operating a surface planer:
(1)  training and passing of safety test in the operation of the surface planer;
(2)  ensure that safety guards, fence and other accessories are in place before operation of the machine;
(3)  the wood piece to be worked must be free from splits, loose knots, warps and irons such as nails;
(4)  where small narrow pieces of timber wood would be cut, the push stick must be made available;
(5)  ensure that the workpieces are effectively secured before starting the machine;
(6)  cutters and blades must reach their working speeds before starting to cut;

(7)  ensure that the bridge guard is set above 6 mm of the thickness of the wood to be planed;
(8)  use a push block when surfacing boards.