"J. Clarke" wrote

Depends on what you're doing. If you've got a production job to run then
a few minutes setup time can cut the recurring way down.

No doubt on that account. If I have to do more that 6 or so parts, or they
have to be to a very high degree of identical precision, I am first to jig
up somehow. I take pride in that fact.

In a school setting where you _must_ use an OSHA approved guard how do you
teach how to use jigs and fixtures that won't work with the guard, or do
you just not do that?

I design jigs and fixtures that will work with OSHA approved guards, 98
percent of the time. Occasionally I switch out the splitter/ overhead
plastic blade guard to a suspended guard for the cuts that do not penetrate
all of the way through. I have a 12" 5 HP saw that will go through in one
cut most of the time, unless it is a cut that is not supposed to go all of
the way through.

Many (most) cuts that are not rip type operations using the rip fence are
done on the radial arm saws, or power miter saws, or something else. That
eliminates many types of operations that are difficult to perform/jig on the
table saw. I have another table saw that lives with a dado blade (most of
the time) and a suspended guard. That also helps it to be practical to use
OSHA guards on the primary table saw.

My remaining 2 percent operations I do use with homemade guards and jigs,
but the blade is never left unguarded for an operation that the students
will be performing at any time-before during or after the cut. If there is
something that has to be done for a quick operation that is not practical or
possible to guard, I make it as safe as possible, and perform the cut
myself. I do emphasise that I still demonstrate a safe operation, and use
imaginative solutions in making it possible to fully guard the blade. Even
though it may not be a commercially produced guard, it still will meet the
spirit of the OSHA regulation.

Does all of this slow down operations in the shop? Believe it or not, I
think only slightly. I have gotten so used to using all of the guards as
they are and using guards and proceedures that I have developed, I have a
supply of jigs and guards that make extra setup and use time pretty minimal.

The only thing that will prevent accidents "after the cut" is a Sawstop
and it won't prevent all of them.

From my viewing of the Sawstop machine, I disagree. Other than a nick that
does not require more than a band-aid, or a broken Sawstop machine, that is
the best sure-fire prevention of serious injury I have ever seen. I wish it
was available in a 12 inch blade, and a higher HP motor, and did not cost
several arms and legs to purchase. ;-)
--
Jim in NC