Push stick would not have helped keep it from jamming, but may have
saved his fngers. Those wide and short pieces are definitely deadly, but
he may have (almost certainly) gotten away with it had the piece not
been touching the fence and he was using a miter gauge as a sled of
sorts. Toss the darn blade guard in the trashcan where it belongs, it
has no place on any serious, no, make that: any table saw whatsoever .
They do NOT reduce kickback in any meaningful way, and in my huge,
professional shop, they are only there to satisfy state safety
inspectors, who, like teachers, are not professional woodworkers. Said
guards are purposely constructed so as to be easily and positively slid
aside and kept as far from the blade as possible. I cannot even
comprehend anymore why anybody would have any trust at all in these
niusance devices.