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CPSC RIN: 3041-AC31 Publication ID: Fall 2024 
Title: Regulatory Options for Table Saws 
Abstract:

In 2006, the Commission granted a petition asking that the Commission issue a rule to prescribe performance standards for an active injury mitigation (AIM) system to reduce or prevent injuries from contacting the blade of a table saw. The Commission subsequently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would establish a performance standard requiring table saws to limit the depth of cut to 3.5 millimeters when a test probe, acting as a surrogate for a human body/finger, contacts the table saw's spinning blade. Staff has conducted several studies to provide information for the rulemaking. In November 2023, the Commission published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) based on analysis of newly available incident data, evaluation of newly available products, and other market information that did not exist at the time of the 2017 NPRM. On February 28, 2024, the Commission provided an opportunity for interested parties to make oral presentations on the SNPRM. The hybrid hearing was held in person at CPSC’s headquarters and remotely via webinar. Staff is redacting data for release for additional public comment to support a notice of availability (NOA).

 
Agency: Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC)  Priority: Section 3(f)(1) Significant 
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage 
Major: Yes  Unfunded Mandates: No 
CFR Citation: 16 CFR 1245   
Legal Authority: 5 U.S.C. 553(e)    15 U.S.C. 2056    15 U.S.C. 2058   
Legal Deadline:  None

Statement of Need:

In the NPRM, the Commission preliminarily determined that there is an unreasonable risk associated with blade-contact injuries on table saws. Based on injury data reviewed in 2015, there were an estimated 33,400 table saw, emergency department treated injuries. Of these, staff estimated that 30,800 (92 percent) are likely related to the victim making contact with the saw blade. Of the 30,800 ED treated blade-contact injuries, an estimated 28,900 injuries (93.8 percent) involved the finger, with 4,700 amputations (15.3 percent).

Summary of the Legal Basis:

Table saws are consumer products that can be regulated by the Commission under the authority of the CPSA. See 15 U.S.C. 2052(a). Section 7 of the CPSA authorizes the Commission to promulgate a mandatory consumer product safety standard that sets forth performance requirements for a consumer product or that sets forth requirements that a product be marked or accompanied by clear and adequate warnings or instructions. 15 U.S.C. 2056. Section 7(a) of the CPSA authorizes the Commission to promulgate a mandatory consumer product safety standard that sets forth performance or labeling requirements for a consumer product if such requirements are reasonably necessary to prevent or reduce an unreasonable risk of injury. Id. Section 9 of the CPSA specifies the procedure that the Commission must follow to issue a consumer product safety standard under section 7 of the CPSA.

Alternatives:

The Commission could: (1) pursue table saw voluntary standard activities; (2) extend the effective dates of a possible rule; (3) exempt certain categories of table saws from the draft proposed rule; (4) limit the applicability of the performance requirements to some, but not all, tables saws; or (5) pursue an information and education campaign to inform the public of the hazards of blade contact and the benefits of the AIM technology.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

As published in the regulatory analysis in the SNPRM in 2023, the estimated benefits per saw are between $3,503 to $12,865. The estimated costs per saw are between $338 to $1,376. Net benefits (i.e., benefits minus costs) per saw therefore range from $241 to $1,326.

Risks:

The CPSC has determined preliminarily that there is an unreasonable risk of blade-contact injuries associated with table saws. Each year, approximately 30,000 table saw blade contact injuries are treated in emergency room departments. The most common diagnoses in blade-contact injuries were lacerations (60.9 percent), fractures (20.6 percent), and amputations (10.7 percent).

Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
Commission Decision to Grant Petition  07/11/2006 
ANPRM  10/11/2011  76 FR 62678   
Notice of Extension of Time for Comments  12/02/2011  76 FR 75504   
Comment Period End  02/10/2012 
Notice to Open Comment Period  02/15/2012  77 FR 8751   
Comment Period End  03/16/2012 
Staff Sent NPRM Briefing Package to Commission  01/17/2017 
Commission Decision  04/27/2017 
NPRM  05/12/2017  82-FR 22190   
NPRM Comment Period End  07/26/2017 
Public Hearing  08/09/2017  82 FR 31035   
Staff Sent 2016 NEISS Table Saw Type Study Status Report to Commission   08/15/2017 
Staff Sent 2017 NEISS Table Saw Special Study to Commission  11/13/2018 
Notice of Availability of 2017 NEISS Table Saw Special Study  12/04/2018  83FR62561   
Staff Sends a Status Briefing Package on Table Saws to Commission  08/28/2019 
Commission Decision  09/10/2019 
Staff Sends SNPRM Briefing Package to Commission  09/21/2023 
Commission Decision Approving SNPRM  10/25/2023 
Oral comment presentations  02/28/2024  89 FR 8582   
Staff Redacts Data for Release to Support NOA  07/00/2025 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: YES  Government Levels Affected: Undetermined 
Small Entities Affected: Businesses  Federalism: Undetermined 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: Yes 
International Impacts: This regulatory action will be likely to have international trade and investment effects, or otherwise be of international interest.
RIN Data Printed in the FR: Yes 
Agency Contact:
Caroleene Paul
Project Manager, Directorate for Engineering Sciences
Consumer Product Safety Commission
National Product Testing and Evaluation Center, 5 Research Place,
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone:301 987-2225
Email: cpaul@cpsc.gov