March 4, 2024 SawStop To Dedicate Key Patent for Table Saw Safety

SawStop to dedicate key U.S. patent to the public upon the effective date of a rule requiring table saw safety technology.

TUALATIN, OREGON —  Today, in response to proposed rulemaking regarding table saw safety by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), SawStop committed to dedicate U.S. Patent 9,724,840 to the public upon the rule’s effective date.

The intent of the proposed rule is to prevent the thousands of amputations and hospitalizations that will continue to occur without industry-wide action.

“We work to protect and inspire all woodworkers, from novice hobbyists to professional craftspeople. Opponents of the proposed rulemaking have identified this patent as their key obstacle to offering safer saws,” said Matt Howard, CEO, SawStop. “We invest heavily in safety innovation, and our patents have real value. Even so, we will not allow this patent to be an obstacle to a safer future. To that end, SawStop is prepared to dedicate this ‘840 patent to the public upon the effective date of a rule requiring active injury mitigation technology on all table saws. Although such a rule is likely many years away from an effective date, we at SawStop are determined to seek a win-win balance between our mission and our business responsibilities.”

Safety Standards for Addressing Table Saw Blade-Contact Injuries

On November 1, 2023, the CPSC published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking under the Consumer Product Safety Act proposing to issue a safety standard addressing blade-contact injuries on table saws. The proposed rule would require all table saws to “limit the depth of cut to no more than 3.5 mm” when a test probe, acting as a surrogate for a human finger or other body part, contacts the spinning blade at a rate of 1 meter per second (m/s).

As the pioneer in safety technology for table saws, SawStop believes such a standard will radically improve the overall safety of all table saws sold in the United States. It will help prevent the tens of thousands of severe injuries annually that result in billions of dollars in corresponding healthcare, pain, and suffering costs for victims and society.

For more information about the CPCS hearing from February 28, visit: https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/Public-Calendar/2024-02-28-110000/.

To learn more about SawStop and its safety technology, visit: https://www.sawstop.com/why-sawstop/the-technology/.

About SawStop
Established in 2000, SawStop is the world leader in power tool safety. SawStop designs, engineers, and manufactures innovative woodworking power tools and accessories for private and professional markets. All SawStop power tools feature our revolutionary safety technology that has saved tens of thousands of woodworkers and jobsite professionals from devastating, life-changing injuries. SawStop is a proud part of the TTS Group, a third-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Wendlingen, Germany. Learn more at SawStop.com

Media Contact:
Laurie Barton, SawStop
Phone: 503.506.5438
Email: Laurie.Barton@sawstop.com

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