How to save 10,000 fingers

Key takeaways

Table saws are responsible for tens of thousands of injuries each year, highlighting a pressing need for safety technologies.
Steve Gass's SawStop device is a significant innovation that has the potential to save thousands of injuries and lives, but has faced substantial resistance from industry players.
Government regulations can have a substantial impact on product safety but must carefully consider the costs to consumers and market accessibility.
The balance of economic implications and safety standards is a nuanced issue that reflects broader societal values.
The story emphasizes the role of consumers in influencing market changes towards safer products.

Summary

The Dangers of Table Saws

The episode opens with a stark statistic: 30,000 people are sent to the emergency room each year due to table saw injuries, with 3,000 resulting in amputations. These incidents not only create physical harm but also cost society billions in medical expenses and lost wages. The podcast establishes this backdrop to underscore the importance of safe machinery.

Invention of SawStop

The main narrative focuses on Steve Gass, the inventor of SawStop, a technology that can detect when a body part comes too close to the saw blade and stop it in milliseconds. The idea originated in 1999 when Steve realized that while humans conduct electricity well, wood does not. This led to the creation of a table saw capable of saving thousands of fingers.

Resistance from Power Tool Manufacturers

Despite Steve's innovative technology, the resistance from major table saw manufacturers was significant. Hopes of licensing SawStop were dashed as companies viewed it as a threat, fearing it would open them up to legal liabilities. Steve's attempts to pitch the technology to industry lawyers were met with pushback, making him an ‘anti-hero’ among woodworkers and manufacturers.

Government Regulations and Safety Standards

Steve took his advocacy a step further by lobbying the government to implement new safety standards that could mandate SawStop's technology. This move created a fierce controversy within the power tool industry, with manufacturers arguing that a government mandate would effectively create a monopoly for Steve's invention and significantly raise the costs of table saws.

Economic Implications of Safety Regulations

Former Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) commissioner Bob Adler discusses the depth of regulatory considerations involved in making products like table saws safer. The episode explores the balance between improving safety and maintaining accessibility, especially for lower-income consumers who might be priced out of safer models.

The Impact and Legacy of SawStop

After years of resistance, many manufacturers have begun to adopt safety features, reflecting a shift in the marketplace influenced by consumer preferences for safer equipment. Although many patents have expired, SawStop's technology has started to democratize safety in woodworking tools.

Show notes

Table saws are extremely dangerous. The government estimates that injuries from table saws send something like 30,000 people to the emergency room every year. 3,000 of those end in amputations. The costs of those injuries are enormous. Are they also avoidable?

In 1999, inventor Steve Gass had a realization: Humans conduct electricity pretty well; Wood does not. Could he develop a saw that could tell the difference between the two?

Steve invented a saw that can detect a finger and stop the blade in milliseconds. Then, he tried to license it to the big tool companies. He thought it was a slam dunk proposition: It would dramatically reduce the injuries, and the cost of medical treatments and lost wages associated with them.

On today's episode: What does it take to make table saws safer? When someone gets hurt by a power tool, there are tons of costs, tons of externalities. We all bear the cost of the injury, in some way. So, it can be in society's best interest to minimize those costs. We follow Steve's quest to save thousands of fingers. It brought him face-to-face with roomfuls of power tool company defense attorneys, made him the anti-hero of the woodworking world, and cost the lives of many, many hot dogs.

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