[TheForge] Oh, Jeeze...California Considers Table Saw Law

[Ries Niemi]

First off- that law was proposed by one guy. It wasnt passed, and most likely wont be. Similar laws have been proposed, and trashcanned, all over the country for years.

But second- the SawStop system actually works, and works really well. I have a buddy who runs the woodshop for King County, and he recently put these in on all his tablesaws in several shops. They save fingers, and in a government shop, they save lifetime pension payments that can hit a million dollars.
They also make really good sense in school and university shops. 

I am not in favor of this law. I dont think they shoud be mandated, but they are NOT "safety crap you have to remove to use a power tool effectively". They dont interfere with the regular workings of the saw, and ONE trip to the emergency room is always far more expensive than a new blade and saw stop plastic brake pad. 
As an employer, I have seen smart, sensible employees do incredibly stupid things, again and again. I insist on safety gear in my shop. I walk around and put the guards back on grinders, the fences back on tools. I cant afford even one finger sawn off. Especially if it was mine, of course.

but dont worry, this wont become law.

ries



On Mar 20, 2012, at 9:20 AM, Saint Phlip wrote:

> I suspect, rather than mandating a bunch of safety crap that you have
> to remove to use a power tool effectively, they might be better off,
> and at least as effective, if they simply made laws against using
> power tools when the user was in a hurry...
> 
> Oh, wait, they have one- it's called "Impromptu Amputation"...
> 
> On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 11:15 AM,  <xlch58 at swbell.net> wrote:
>> On 3/20/2012 8:28 AM, Bruce . wrote:
>>> Curiously, this bill doesn't address portable rotary saws -- which are
>>> a damned sight more dangerous than table saws.
>> Years ago I ran my hand through a table saw with a 3/4" wide dado
>> blade.   I had plenty of time to review materials on the subject while
>> recuperating ( they rebuilt some of my hand using bits from my foot).
>> In any event,  it turns out that the majority of injuries come from
>> weekend warriors and hand held circular saws.   Dedicated home craftsman
>> are less frequently injured, and they tend to favor the table saw.
>> True professionals it turns out, go to the jointer planer for digit
>> removal.    The other correlation point that hit home is that the later
>> you were working the more likely an injury.   I was up at 2am myself
>> finishing a project for a Christmas gift.   I still keep a chunk of my
>> knuckle I dug out of the saw as a key fob.
>> 
>> Charles
> 
> -- 
> Saint Phlip
> 
> So, you think your data is safe?
> http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/23/schneier.google.hacking/index.html?hpt=T2
> 
> Heat it up
> Hit it hard
> Repent as necessary.
> 
> Priorities:
> 
> It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.
> 
> .I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary
> notices I have read with pleasure. -Clarence Darrow
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Ries Niemi
Industrial Artist
www.riesniemi.com