[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 40912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17327]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


Petition Requesting Performance Standards for a System To Reduce 
or Prevent Injuries From Contact With the Blade of a Table Saw 
(Petition No. CP 03-2)

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has received a petition (CP 03-2) requesting 
that the Commission issue performance standards for a system to reduce 
or prevent injuries from contact with the blade of a table saw. The 
Commission solicits written comments concerning the petition.

DATES: The Office of the Secretary must receive comments on the 
petition by September 8, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the petition, preferably in five copies, should 
be mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Washington, DC 20207, telephone (301) 504-0800, or 
delivered to the Office of the Secretary, Room 501, 4330 East-West 
Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Comments may also be filed by 
facsimile to (301) 504-0127 or by e-mail to [email protected]. Comments 
should be captioned ``Petition CP 03-2, Petition for Performance 
Standards for Table Saws.'' A copy of the petition is available for 
inspection at the Commission's Public Reading Room, Room 419, 4330 
East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. The petition is also available 
on the CPSC Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rockelle Hammond, Office of the 
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207; 
telephone (301) 504-6833, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission has received correspondence 
from Messrs. Gass, Fanning, and Fulmer, et al., requesting that the 
Commission issue a rule prescribing performance standards for a system 
to reduce or prevent injuries from contact with the blade of a table 
saw. The petitioners assert that a table saw not so equipped poses an 
increased risk of severe injuries including lacerations and 
amputations.
    The petitioners maintain that a system to reduce or eliminate this 
risk must include the following: (1) A detection system capable of 
detecting contact or dangerous proximity between a person and the saw 
blade when the saw blade is--(a) spinning prior to cutting, (b) cutting 
natural wood with a moisture content of up to 50%, (c) cutting glued 
wood with a moisture content of up to 30%, and (d) spinning down after 
turning off the motor; (2) a reaction system to perform some action 
upon detection of such contact or dangerous proximity, such as stopping 
or retracting the blade, so that a person will be cut no deeper than 
\1/8\ of an inch when contacting or approaching the blade at any point 
above the table and from any direction at a rate of one foot per 
second; (3) a self-diagnostic capability to verify the functionality of 
key components of the detection and reaction systems; and (4) an 
interlock system with the motor so that power cannot be applied to the 
motor if a fault interfering with the functionality of a key component 
in the detection or reaction system is detected.
    The Commission is docketing the correspondence as a petition under 
provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Act, 15 U.S.C. 2051-2084.
    Interested parties may obtain a copy of the petition by writing or 
calling the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Washington, DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-0800. The 
petition is available on the CPSC Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov. A 
copy of the petition is also available for inspection from 8:30 a.m. to 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the Commission's Public Reading Room, 
Room 419, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland.

    Dated: July 2, 2003.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 03-17327 Filed 7-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P