Feds might force table-saw makers to adopt radically safer technology

Ars Technica:

In 2015, 4,700 people in the US lost a finger or other body part to table-saw incidents. Most of those injuries didn’t have to happen, thanks to technology invented in 1999 by entrepreneur Stephen Gass. By giving his blade a slight electric charge, his saw is able to detect contact with a human hand and stop spinning in a few milliseconds.

Now federal regulators are considering whether to make Gass’ technology mandatory in the table-saw industry. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced plans for a new rule in May, and the rules could take effect in the coming months.

But established makers of power tools vehemently object.

I’m a danger to myself and others whenever I use any kind of tool and table saws in particular scare the living daylights out of me. But forcing manufacturers to use the “safe” saw technology presents its own challenges.