BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2218|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2218
Author: Williams (D), et al.
Amended: 8/7/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE : 3-1, 7/3/12
AYES: Evans, Corbett, Leno
NOES: Blakeslee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Harman
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 64-4, 5/14/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Consumer safety: table saws
SOURCE : SD3
DIGEST : This bill prohibits a seller, on or after
January 1, 2016, from selling a new table saw in this state
unless that table saw is equipped with injury mitigation
technology, as defined.
ANALYSIS : Existing law authorizes the Occupational
Safety and Health Standards Board (Board) to adopt, amend,
or repeal occupational safety and health standards and
orders. The Board shall adopt standards at least as
effective as the federal standards, as specified. (Labor
Code Section 142.3)
Existing regulation requires each hand-fed table saw to be
guarded by a hood which completely encloses that portion of
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the saw blade above the table and that portion of the blade
above the material being cut. (8 C.C.R. 4300.1.)
Existing regulation provides that the hood or other guard
shall be so designed as to prevent a "kickback," or a
separate attachment that will prevent a "kickback" shall be
provided. "Anti-kickback" devices shall be designed to be
effective for all thicknesses of material. (8 C.C.R.
4300.1.)
This bill provides that, on or after January 1, 2016, a
seller shall not sell any new table saw in this state
unless that table saw is equipped with injury mitigation
technology.
This bill defines "injury mitigation technology" as
technology to prevent or detect contact with, or dangerous
proximity between, a hand or finger and the teeth of the
blade above the table top of a table saw, and to prevent
the blade from causing severe injury to the hand or finger.
This bill defines "seller" as any person who deals in or
engages in the business of selling table saws or any other
person who sells table saws in this state.
This bill defines "table saw" as a saw that is designed
primarily for cutting wood with a generally planar,
circular blade having teeth around its periphery and having
a nominal diameter of 12 inches or less, where the table
saw includes a table top for supporting a work piece, and
where at least a portion of the blade extends above the
table top to cut a work piece on the table top. Table saws
vary in price, size, weight, motors, drive systems, stands,
housings, and other features. Common names of various
types of table saws include, but are not limited to, bench
saws, bench top saws, contractor saws, hybrid saws, and
cabinet saws.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/7/12)
SD3 (parent company of SawStop) (source)
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California Chapter of the American College of Emergency
Physicians
California Conference of Carpenters
California Federation of Teachers
California Labor Federation
California Medical Association
California Public Interest Research Group
California State Association of Electrical Workers
California State Council of Laborers
California State Pipe Trades Council
Coalition of California Utility Employees
Consumer Action
Consumer Attorneys of California
National Consumers League
State Building and Construction Trades Council
Western States Council of Sheet Metal Workers
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/7/12)
California Business Properties Association
California Chamber of Commerce
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
California Retailers Association
Delta Power Tool Corporation
Grizzly Industrial Inc
Home Depot
Lowe's
National Federation of Independent Business
Power Tool Institute
Sears Holdings
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
this bill is a landmark legislation requiring all new table
saws sold in California after January 1, 2016 to be
equipped with an injury mitigation system. Examples of
injury mitigation systems stop or retract the blade of a
table saw the moment it comes close to or in contact with
human skin to minimize injury.
This bill mandates the end result of a performance-based
standard. This bill does not mandate a specific
technology. The bill simply requires new table saws to be
equipped with some type of injury mitigation system. Table
saw manufacturers are free to develop their own injury
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mitigation systems.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 64-4, 5/14/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Dickinson, Eng,
Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth Gaines, Galgiani,
Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Grove, Halderman, Hall, Harkey,
Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries,
Jones, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell,
Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan, V. Manuel Pérez, Portantino,
Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Wagner,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NOES: Donnelly, Hagman, Logue, Morrell
NO VOTE RECORDED: Atkins, Davis, Fletcher, Gorell, Hueso,
Knight, Lara, Mansoor, Monning, Nestande, Perea, Valadao
RJG:d 8/8/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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