U.S. CPSC Hears Public Comment on Proposed Laws
SawStop inventor, Steve Gass, continues his push for new tablesaw laws.
This past Wednesday, August 7, 2017, SawStop inventor Steve Gass was once again at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), asking them to make the technology he invented mandatory for tablesaws. He originally petitioned the CPSC in 2003.
The Power Tool Institute (PTI) opposes CPSC enacting mandatory requirements for SawStop licensed technology on all new tablesaws. You can read PTI’s position here.
You can check out an in-depth article covering this recent hearing at NPR.
In 2011, the CPSC voted unanimously to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) aimed at improving the safety of table saws. This was done “in an effort to address the large number of serious hand and finger injuries that occur each year.”
The commission is reviewing public comment and has not yet voted on this topic yet.
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That's great if you like SawStop products, I do not care for the inconvenience when my brain is the best safety. But don't make the mistake of categorizing seat belts and airbags with SawStop. They are absolutely not the same thing. Every 18yo does not own and operate a tablesaw in the company of thousands of other bystanders. Other citizens are not immediately put at risk the moment I start my saw in my garage.
SawStop (or any of their competitors) simply want to profit from legislating the required use of a product. This is blatantly unethical and unconstitutional.
It's rent-seeking, plain and simple. Can't compete well enough in the market? Get the government to force people to buy your product.
I have owned and used a table saw for over 30 years. I have never had an accident. You cannot idiot proof everything. People for years have removed the kick back safety devices. They will figure out to defeat this one too. So let's give a company a monopoly on table saws and watch the price double and more. If you read the directions and learn how to operate your saw safely you will not get hurt.
I don't believe that one company should have an monopoly on a device that provides safety for the many woodworkers who are a little sloppy in their handling of their power equipment. I realize SawStop probably has a dozen patents on their product, but I much prefer Bosh's system. Bosh's system forces the blade to tuck down into the table of the saw and can be put back into action within a few minutes, while SawStop destroys the blade and requires replacement of parts and blade (which may take time to get the replacement parts). As restwar1 stated in his comment a monopoly would give the company license to raise their prices {my comment: until the squeaking from the woodworkers pocket book starts to cryout}. If SawStop is willing to sell the rights to use the sensing system then Bosh, Jet, Grizzly, General, Skill, Dewalt, Rockwell, Powermate, Laguna and a host more can be more creative with the need and begin competing on the PRICE!