94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0450


 
Introduced 1/26/2005, by Rep. Kevin Joyce
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













New Act











    Creates the Electrical Saw Safety Act.  Requires a saw manufacturer to retool its production line to install the SawStop safety device on all electrical saws.
















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A BILL FOR









 











HB0450

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    AN ACT concerning safety.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
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Electrical Saw Safety Act.
 
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    Section 5. Legislative findings. 
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    (a) The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports 
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that there were approximately 33,000 injuries from table and 
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bench saws in 1998 that were sufficiently serious to require a 
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hospital visit.  Of these injuries, approximately 95% were hand 
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and finger injuries, with approximately 3000 amputations of one 
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or more fingers.  
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    (b) Injuries from table and bench saws can be minimized or 
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completely avoided with SawStop technology.  
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    (c) The SawStop system works by recognizing the difference 
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in the electrical properties of wood and a user.  The system 
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induces a high-frequency electrical signal on the blade of a 
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table saw and monitors this signal for changes caused by 
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contact between the blade and a user's body.  The signal remains 
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unchanged when the blade cuts wood because of the relatively 
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small inherent electrical capacitance and conductivity of 
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wood.  However, when a user contacts the blade while the saw is 
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operating, the electrical signal changes because of the 
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relatively large inherent capacitance of the user's body.  
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SawStop system detects this change in the electrical signal and 
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immediately forces a brake into the teeth of the blade.  
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    (d) The SawStop brake absorbs the energy of the blade, 
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bringing the blade to a complete stop in approximately 5 
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milliseconds.  
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    (e) The SawStop system can be used with practically any 
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type of woodworking equipment, such a miter saws, chop saws, 
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radial arm saws, circular saws, sliding table saws, jointers, 
 


 






HB0450
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band saws, and shapers.  The electronics, detection and firing 
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systems are the same, with the brake mechanism tending to vary 
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between different types of woodworking equipment.  
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    (f) Saws equipped with the SawStop system are not yet 
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available for purchase.  Many manufacturers have expressed 
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interest in the system, but none have committed to implement 
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the product.  
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    (g) The General Assembly finds that the installation of the 
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SawStop system in electrical saws is necessary to reduce the 
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countless injuries caused by electrical table saws and other 
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woodworking equipment daily.  
 
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    Section 10. SawStop installation; electrical saws.   A saw 
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manufacturer shall retool its production line to install the 
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SawStop safety device on all electrical saws.