http://www.npr.org/2011/06/18/137258370/if-table-saws-can-be-safer-why-arent-they
Every year, thousands of people are injured from the use of table saws. Many of these injuries involve fingertip amputations that can leave a person disabled. These injuries concern not just Missouri personal injury lawyers, but also Missouri workers’ compensation attorneys because table saws are used not just by people at home, but also by woodworkers. The tragedy of it all is that these injuries can be prevented through a simple safe device.
The device is called Saw Stop, and it is the brainchild of inventor Steve Gass. Gass invented the technology a few years ago, and offered to license it to manufacturers of table saws. The device is designed to detect the presence of a human finger in the path of the blade. When this happens, the blade automatically stops, thereby preventing injuries.
However, manufacturers of table saws have not been too keen on incorporating this technology. It could cost about $100 more to incorporate Saw Stop in each table saw, and manufacturers don’t believe that it is a worthwhile investment. The manufacturers lobby has strongly resisted any attempts by consumer safety groups to get the federal administration to mandate these safety technologies on all table saws.
Last month, representatives of Saw Stop and the National Consumers League visited lawmakers and regulators in Washington. They are seeking to make Saw Stop mandatory on all table saws.
The technology to prevent table saw-related injuries is not just available, but it is also effective and simple. More so, installation of Saw Stop would not be that much more expensive, when you factor in the costs of treatment of fingertip amputations, as well as the long-term effects in terms of loss of wages and loss of future earnings.
