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

[Saint Phlip]

Ries, I have no objection to using safety equipment- IF it's that
person's choice. And, I do weird things like wear eye protection, and
so forth. But, my roommate got some flavor of skilsaw (portable
circular saw) and the damn thing was almost impossible to use
effectively, because of the purported safety equipment attached. I
finally went to the flea market and got myself a couple of used saws
for a couple bucks apiece, that work just fine.

If the guard stuff works, that's great. However, my roommates and I
are daily dealing with mandated safety equipment- specifically seat
belts, that are designed so that they work just fine for males, but
they do their level best to clothesline women, due to our differing
chest architecture. If they were going to mandate the damn things, why
didn't they mandate the 4 point seat belts, which are honestly the
most effective (and the least likely to clothesline women) out there?
So, forgive me if experience has taught me to be very suspicious of
government's one-size-fits all safety regulations.

On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 12:28 PM, Ries Niemi <ries at riesniemi.com> wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
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-- 
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