The table saw is a common tool for contractors and craftsmen in Kentucky and the rest of the country. The problem is that the table saw is inherently dangerous and leads to several thousand injuries each year.

In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that it costs the country $35,000 every time someone is injured using a table saw because of costs associated with products liability lawsuits and workers' compensation. That is why the CPSC has announced that it is working to tighten safety standards for the tool.

The chairman of the CPSC said that it is an issue that deserves attention, especially considering the severity and frequency of the injuries sustained from using the tools.

"I have personally met with victims of table saw blade injuries, and I have deep sympathy for the pain and the suffering they've endured and that will continue for the rest of their lives, all due to one split-second miscalculation when using a table saw," the chairman said at a hearing in September.

The agency, which oversees the safety standards on a variety of consumer products, said that most of the injuries can be prevented with a better emergency braking system on the table saws. Right now, this type of brake is only available on one brand of table saws.

The new braking system, developed by the company SawStop, is able to sense when the blade nicks a person's skin and turns the tool off.

The improved brake would ultimately replace a plastic safety guard that is currently offered on most table saws. Many craftsmen remove the plastic guard because it gets in the way of some cuts, so it's not very effective, the CPSC said.

Source: NPR, "Regulators Consider Safety Brakes For Table Saws," Chris Arnold, Sept. 23, 2011.