Here we go, CPSC wants safer table saws

[smorris]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...aws02_ST_N.htm

CPSC estimates there are an average of about 10 finger amputations a day, just from table saws used by consumers.

"The safety of table saws needs to be improved in a way that prevents school children in shop class and woodworkers from suffering these life-altering injuries," CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum told USA TODAY. "All options are on the table for CPSC at this time."

[radhak]

That's our Stephen Gass at work.

I like a comment below that piece :

Wizzrat
...
Remember - it was the CPSC who made it necessary for lawn mower users to carry a roll of duct tape so the mower doesn't stop every time you bend down to pick up a stone.

[JimD]

Pretty sleazy way for somebody to get rich. The pricing this "inventor" offered for his device to saw manufacturers is an order of magnitude above typical licenses to use technology. All the risk that his device works goes to the saw manufacturer. When the saw suppliers fail to accept this "deal" he goes to the government to try and force the manufacturers to buy from him.

If he is really interested in safety, why not grant free licenses to the technology?

If a consumer wants the technology, they can already get it.

The same individual testified that the ~$100 saw that caused the injury referenced should have had his device which by itself costs more than this. The individual that was injured was not using the guard or the rip fence. He was ripping freehand with no guard. But according to the Sawstop inventor, that doesn't matter, only the fact that the saw could have had his device which might have protected him and did not.

Jim

[pelligrini]

Swell... Maybe the CPSC will get their funding cut soon. I'm not fond of Gass and now the CPSC pushing this again.

[sweensdv]

10 not so bright people a day loose a finger to a table saw. The only reason for that happening is that the users of said table saws were not practicing safe sawing. I wonder how many lives are affected each day for not practicing safe sex, safe driving, safe cooking, safe chemical handling and the list could go on and on............... In a country with many many millions of people 10 a day of anything is nothing.

[Black wallnut]

We can hope that the present players in the manufacturing and branding of table saws will have more political clout than Steve Gass.

I see no need to turn this thread into a bash Steve Gass and or his invention. We've covered that ground plenty already. Off topic posts might quickly be deleted. Personal attacks may result in tempory banning or worse. Keep it about the news story and not about the person Steve Gass!

[pelligrini]

We can hope that the present players in the manufacturing and branding of table saws will have more political clout than Steve Gass.

That's going to be tough when you have the Chairman of the CPSC mentioning 'School Children' to the media. I didn't think there were many shop classes left in schools anyways...

[Cochese]

We can hope that the present players in the manufacturing and branding of table saws will have more political clout than Steve Gass.

I see no need to turn this thread into a bash Steve Gass and or his invention. We've covered that ground pleanty already. Off topic posts might quickly be deleted. Personal attacks may result in tempory banning or worse. Keep it about the news story and not about the person Steve Gass!

Any factual information should be allowed.

Sawstop = Stephen Gass. You really can't discuss a story about one without the other.

[LCHIEN]

10 not so bright people a day loose a finger to a table saw...

I will have to say I know some people I thought were pretty bright who have cut off their fingers. Just a moment of inattention...

[Black wallnut]

Any factual information should be allowed.

Sawstop = Stephen Gass. You really can't discuss a story about one without the other.

If you are not able to keep it from being personal with hold your comments.

[smorris]

I needed a kickback stop. Then I'd still have my front teeth instead of this acrylic thing in my mouth. One moment of not paying attention...

[All Thumbs]

Didn't the other saw manufacturers form a group to "side step" the SawStop patents? Maybe they will come up with technology which will provide 90% of the protection for 10% of the cost.

[woodturner]

"The safety of table saws needs to be improved in a way that prevents school children in shop class and woodworkers from suffering these life-altering injuries,"

The CPSC is saying that table saw safety needs to be improved, but is not mandating sawstop. There are other ways to achieve this goal.

I would hope we can all agree that making tools safer is a good thing.

[Black wallnut]

Didn't the other saw manufacturers form a group to "side step" the SawStop patents? Maybe they will come up with technology which will provide 90% of the protection for 10% of the cost.

I submit that they already have addressed 99%+ with current guards and proven safe techniques, push sticks, feather boards, reading grain, splitters and riving knives, anti-kickback pawls......did I leave any out? All they seem to come up with is estimates of injuries. Nowhere do I see number of amputations per 100/ 1000/ 10,000/ million table saws. How about number of amputations per million linear feet of lumber cut. The point should be the incidence of injury is very small when compared to exposure.

Discussion of CPSC mandating sawstop technology quickly turns this into a political debate just as much as gun control, abortion, women's sufferage and the consequence of them being allowed to drive..... you should get my point.

[Stytooner]

SS tech aside, I am glad to see new riving knives and blade guards that can actually be removed and easily. Pawls too. Someone should have thought of that sooner.

The guards are now very useful and easy to use, so it is likely they will be used more often. That is already safer. The SS has a nice blade guard now too even though it doesn't come apart. It can be used with or without pawls(they lock back). They also ship a true riving knife for those cuts that can't use a guard. They also went a step farther and added dust collection.
I'd like to see more companies do this. With just all the older type saws that would still be around, I would stay in business for some time. About 98% of what I sell are for saws without riving knives now.

Keep the safety coming I say, but be very careful what type regulations are invoked.