Swingman wrote:

The reality is that now that the technology is commercially available it
will be difficult to legally defend an employer who doesn't take
advantage
of it to protect employees from the certainty that accidents happen.
And
insurance risk managers will be mandating it, if they are not already
doing
so.

So, in effect, even if some don't want it, they may not have really a
choice
.... a slick position for the patent holder.

Sage words, indeed. As a veteran business man yourself, you KNOW this
is coming sooner or later. I don't think it is around the corner, but
soon. And the inventor will profit accordingly until the Chiwanese
come up with their own reverse engineered version.

Many years ago I was totally annoyed by the fact that some circular saw
makers decided to put blade brakes on their saws. I was ****ed off a
the fact that the saw would jerk so hard at the end of the cut it would
yank itself around on the work. I understood the intent a lot better
after having the blade guard hang open while cutting some splintery
stuff. I set the saw down and it skittered across the concrete and
rolled over my foot. Going to fast, it didn't do anything but scare
the living crap out of me. In my mind at that point it was clear why
someone would want a blade brake. They still aren't prevalent, but
most manufacturers at least off a circular saw with the blade brake.

Look at miter saws - I think they all have blade brakes now. No
telling how many digits have been saved by that introduction. And
cordless drills - does anyone make one anymore that doesn't? I wonder
how many injuries have been averted by those?

The good news is that we still have a choice. Anyone can do anything
that they want with their saw right now, and I am sure that when they
are widely introduced that it will be mandatory for the civil rights
militia to immediately figure out and post instructions on how to
defeat the system. Much like some used to roll up their seatbelts and
stick them in the separation of the bench to back inside the car.

Then their lives can go on unfettered by another safety device that was
obviously designed for someone else.

Robert