promark747 said:
Wouldn't making SawStop-type brakes mandatory be similar to banning dado blades as in Europe (I believe)?
Just a correction dado blades are not banned in Europe or the UK this is an idea that just won't die.
In the UK the case is that if you have employees you have to have a proper guard system, break system, the saw must be designed to accept a daido blade and the cut width must not exceed 15.5cm.
HSE said:
If a company does not fulfil their duty of care and an accident happens, a company can be held responsible and prosecuted and they frequently are.
So the way that is often seen in the US, of running a dado blade with no guard and where (because of the mass of the blade) it can't be braked fast enough, is against HSE advice. However if the saw blade can be stopped within the correct time (10 seconds) and the blade is properly guarded it is completely OK
Also H&S have nothing to say about private users. The UK point of view is "in your own home workshop. Safety is your responsibility and if you have an accident it's your fault"
http://www.greatbritishwoodshop.co.uk/Tools/HealthandSafety/tabid/418/language/en-US/Default.aspx
Amazon wouldn't sell an illegal tool.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/8-inch-Stacked-DADO-HEAD/dp/B00FIPAE3U
A further point on the table saw litigation, if you listen to shop talk live no. 72 they highlight the case where Ryobi have successfuly defended a table saw accident case.
The point they illustrate is that it is always possible to make a safer product. The example is roll cages in cars that would make them safer but few people have them. Car makers are not having to defend cases where a roll cage would have prevented injury or death.
The previous cases were lost in part due to not using the correct legal argument. That being that few tools could not be made safer but if they meet the current safty standard the manufacturer is not liable.
The case that was successfuly defended was one in which the very experienced user took off the guard because he had added an out feed table that he didn't notch to allow for the guard and that was too narrow.
The jury in the Chicago case ruled unanimously that the Ryobi table saw, which complied with Underwriters Laboratory 987 and other standards such as those from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, was not negligently designed or unreasonably dangerous.
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ryobi-wins-table-saw-safety-litigation/
A reason for the US rules not mandating SawStop technology is that it is patented and the OHSA is not permitted to require that a patented technology is required.
On a personal note if I were in the market for a new table saw of any kind I would probably buy a SawStop.