alt Hacker NewsI would be glad to see better table saw safety mechanisms, though I'm skeptical that 1. This will actually happen 2. That patent is the only one that will wind up mattering.
I can't help but wonder if a big part of the reason the number of incidents is so high is because we're intentionally hyperbolic about risks when it comes to warning labels, for liability reasons. As an example, many appliances will warn that you can never operate them with the covers off and doing so can cause death or serious injury. Okay fine, sure, it's not necessarily safe, and perhaps you could indeed kill yourself by accident doing so. However, in practice it's bullshit. People do this all the time, and you pretty much have to sometimes. How the hell are you even supposed to troubleshoot without being able to see what's wrong? Just guess?
So sometimes when it comes to warnings it's easy to empathize with the person who didn't take them very seriously, as we're pretty much conditioned to take warnings like this with a grain of salt.
Though honestly, when it comes to using a table saw, the thing I'm actually afraid of is kickback. Amputation risk is still very serious of course, but I feel safe enough with the many layers of mitigations I already use. I don't want to fall into complacency, but I also don't think I'm going to lose sleep over not having a SawStop table saw either. (I am not using my table saw often enough for it to be a terrible concern anyways.)
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> I can't help but wonder if a big part of the reason the number of incidents is so high is because we're intentionally hyperbolic about risks
I've work in multiple production furniture shops and that has not been my experience. People are just moving fast, trying to get stuff done and things happen. Also, training safety in a non-educational setting is tough.
> I can't help but wonder if a big part of the reason the number of incidents is so high is because we're intentionally hyperbolic about risks when it comes to warning labels
Chainsaws have about the same number of annual ER visits as table saws. It's common to see someone using a chainsaw without most of the recommended safety gear. In those cases, it's probably money.
My grandfather is 90, he was a woodworker, he lost two fingers to a table saw. Few woodworkers of his age have 10 fingers. Workshops are much safer today and woodworkers can expect to end their career with all their fingers. That SawStop thing is one of the many things that can contribute to it.
The idea that safety features cause complacency has been debunked several times. Statistically, well designed safety features or equipment reduce accidents, even if it may cause some people to get complacent.
And you are right to be afraid of kickback, and one of the risks associated with kickbacks is inadvertently touching the blade, that is the issue SawStop is designed to address. The blade guard helps too, but AFAIK, there are many instances where you can't use it.