SittingElf said:
Paul G said:
Kev said:
To me the good thing here is that regulators can now intelligently mandate a capability rather than a proprietary product (which has always been my beef in this area).
Frankly I see nothing intelligent about mandating this capability.
Except of course eliminating a large percentage of the estimated $2.6Billion/yr in medical costs for TS accidents...in the USA alone.
Seat Belts are mandated
Shatter-Proof glass is mandated
Hearing protection is mandated
Helmets are mandated (construction)
Etc, Etc....
I DO see the benefits of mandating safety technology...especially for products and conditions that have been clearly identified as being problems. Table saws fit this bill in spades.
Frank
The Sawstop and now the Bosch address physical contact with the blade after all other safety devices fail to protect the user which is one form of table saw accidents.
Kick back is another form of table saw accident with serious consequence. It would be interesting to review safety records to see if kick back is the more serious and more common cause of table saw accidents. It would also be interesting to understand which forms of accidents occur in commercial versus residential use.
Blade guards, riving knives, anti-kickback pawls and other safety devices are also fitted to reduce the likelihood of kick back.
My own person experience is that I had a non-injury kick-back that missed me but never a flesh/blade contact. This doesn't constitute a study, but I think kick-back has a measure of unpredictability that is terrifying such as when a stress relieved board tries to grab the blade. Sure the riving knife or splitter can help, but it really depends on how the board splits.
Sliding table saws have a number of features that are unique in comparison to regular table saws that enhance safety. In addition to the usual guards, sliding table saws allow the user to stand to the side of the saw instead of the front of the saw and thereby reduce the likelihood of serious kickback injury aimed at the user from the waist up. Sliding saws also allow the user to set-up cuts so that the users hands are no where near the blade. In addition sliding saws allow the fence to be slid to reduce the likelihood of fence jammed kickback. Of course, conventional table saws could be retrofitted with this improvement.
For my money, I think that I would rather have a saw that helps me utilize it in an inherently safe manner by keeping me away from the blade and out of the path of most kickbacks.
Sliding table saws tend to be more expensive than conventional table saws but they also offer enhanced capability and productivity as well as keeping me away from the blade.
So there is more than one way to provide safety and stopping the blade only protects against one form of accident involving physical contact with the blade.
I'm saving up for a sliding saw and I would have been pretty angry if the cost of such saws was increased for safety device that while useful is way less useful than getting me a well designed much safer saw than my ancient Rockwell/delta.
