On Topic: Frying Debris

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia03/os/powersaw.pdf

Aside from the obvious typo on page 16 - I found this pretty interesting.

1) Judging from the pictures - looks like Craftsman tools are causing all
of the injuries. But it looks like there's a Porter Cable miter saw
that's problematic too.

2) Vast majority injuries on Table Saws. Vast minority on RAS. Due to
dearth of equipment or operator skill? Hmmm.

3) Cutting your 51 year old finger is the most likely outcome. Wonder
what Day Care provider has a table saw for that 2 year old?

4) Free hand ripping a rectangular hunk of mahogany/walnut/oak with the
combo blade straight up on your own, new saw -- seems to be pretty risky.

5) Unmodified, assembled yourself, saws with sharp blades should probably
be avoided.


The guard/kickback pawls section was interesting too. 32% guard off, 22%
guard on. 57% had no anti-kickback or they had been removed.

The overwhelming number of ER vists was due to blade contact. Within that
group - 41% was because of the way the stock was being feed into or
removed from the machine.

"Blade contact has been identified as a major hazard related to
stationary saw use during this study period. Finger contact with the
operating blade occurred most often in different scenarios.

With table and band saws, the operator used a hand to guide the
stock/cutting material; lacerations and sometimes amputations resulted
when he failed to move his hand as it came into the path of the blade. In
some incidents, the operator was pushing the stock and got too close to
the blade and his/her gloved hand was caught in the blade. With miter and
radial arm saws, the operator accidentally engaged the operating switch
on the saw arm/handle which automatically started the blade, resulting in
blade contact to the hand (which was holding the stock/cutting material).
With all types of saws, the operator’s hand which was holding the stock
and/or guiding the stock slipped into the blade when the blade jammed in
the stock. Also the blade contact occurred when the operator was trying
to remove cut pieces from the table/base without first turning the saw
off.

In many of the blade contact cases, there was no blade guard in use at
the time of the incident. Often the operator had removed the guard to get
a clear view of his work, to do a special cut such as a dado, or to cut a
very small piece of stock/cutting material."