Comments on flesh sensing saws....

[fredhargis]

This is not meant to start another one of those endless threads, but this should be of interest to those with a strong opinion:
linky do

[Steve N]

A law so no health care coverage to those not using a complete guard would do a lot more good, than nanny technology, which if it fails, and the user is not using a guard, will end as poorly as nothing at all. Guns are not dangerous, or guilty of any crimes. It's the people hanging on to them. We need responsibility more than more laws/rules/whatever. Besides the premise of this rule is that only people with new saws will hurt themselves, or do they plan to "outlaw" all the old saws, the millions of old saws. Additionally are RAS's to be "made safe" or is it ok to leave them as is?

I'm 63 and the General saw I have right now will likely be my last one. If it is not I will buy an older saw. Merican made, spits his terbackky on the ground, and nods yes.......

[bhh]

They can take my '80s Unisaw when they pry it out of my cold, dead hands.   ;-)

[Handplanesandmore]

"The Commission estimates that the proposed rule's aggregate net benefits on an annual basis could range from about $625 million to about $2,300 million."

PTI should be exempted from being required to have a saw stop feature (note: not SawStop) on any saws they produce even if the saw stop is made mandatory for all new saws one day...provided they pay an annual healthcare tax to the tune of that estimated benefit amount!

I found this opening statement particularly encouraging: "The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined preliminarily that there may be an unreasonable risk of blade-contact injuries associated with table saws."

Did the parent co. of Festool which recently bought SawStop have a crystal ball?

Simon

[JGrout]

I actually like the idea a lot 

I should easily recoup all my investment and then some down the road 

I dare them to tell us we cannot sell old saws on the private market

[WilliamHodge]

The political math that would require Saw Stop mechanisms on saws is not clear to me. Far worse injuries are suffered at a greater scale with other technology, like alcohol and cars, and alcohol mixed with cars, but similar safety measures are not required. The table saw injuries I have seen are usually hands and eyes. Cars and alcohol often involve coffins.

Why are table saws such a target for consumer protection?

[Tony Z]

How many more accidents happen with hand held circular saws than table saws?

We don't need more laws, we need a better understanding of safe use.

[LongLook]

You can't legislate stupidity.

[dyne]

We need responsibility more than more laws/rules/whatever. Besides the premise of this rule is that only people with new saws will hurt themselves, or do they plan to "outlaw" all the old saws, the millions of old saws. Additionally are RAS's to be "made safe" or is it ok  to leave them as is?

I don't disagree, but relying on personal responsibility hasn't exactly worked out great at preventing the tens of thousands of table saw injuries that occur each year.  

New standards aren't really going to affect most woodworkers. It's going to affect (and probably mostly benefit) people who don't know anything about table saws like Joe Schmoe who picks up a Skil table saw at Lowe's for a weekend project.  They're not going to (and can't practically) force anyone to not use their old table saws or other tools.  In 30 years people will still be able to look for old arn tools on craigslist if they choose.

Why are table saws such a target for consumer protection?

Because a technology exists which mitigates the type of injury which causes the vast majority of table saw injuries, and the monetary cost of adding the technology to newly sold saws is much less than the monetary cost of accidents.  The same thing happens all over the place, why do you think your car has seat belts and air bags?

If you can't tell, I'm for having a mitigation technology in all table saws. Those guys who cut off fingers on table saws? You and everyone else in the country are paying for their medical costs and disabilities in one way or another, whether they have insurance or not.

[LarryK]

I'm sorry if you want to buy saw stop buy it if you don't that's good too. No matter what keep your hands away from the blades and think before you cut: is this safe? It's always when you get in a hurry and lose fear of the tool you are using that you get hurt.