Riving Knife Regulations?

[Malcolm Wheeler]

About a year ago there was quite a bit of talk about the insurance companies insisting on riving knives on all table saws, from 2008 onwards. If that were true, how come so few saws out there actually have them?

In other words, were all the stories false?

[Tom Veatch]

I could be mistaken, but my hazy memory recalls that it was a case of UL refusing to list new model saws without riving knives after some date. And I'm of the impression that most new models showing up now are equipped with riving knives. The older model saws currently in production or in the supply pipeline probably wouldn't be affected by the UL edict.

[Mike Henderson]

My memory is the same as Tom's. Things move very slowly in the area of safety regulation.

Mike

[Kevin Arceneaux]

https://ifs.ul.com/ifr/ifr.nsf/0/D068B1181A590C91882573C600559F0A/$FILE/SORD068B1181A590C91882573C600559F0A.doc

Sorry that did not put a link, copy and paste

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/tablesaw.pdf

[Steve Schoene]

Yes, it is a UL listing requirement. UL listing doesn't have the force of law, but since lots of retailers wouldn't carry an unlisted saw, the effect is the same. All new saw models, I believe since about the beginning of the year, must have the riving knives, but older models don't have to shift over to having the riving knives by a later date--something like 2014. Cosmetic and accessory package changes (like the Delta X-5) don't count as a new model. This phase in time is a result of the fact that adding a riving knife isn't a simple matter on most existing US designs. Saws like the Unisaw would have to be completely redesigned--a pretty big deal for a design that has been around basically unchanged except for details since the 1930's.

[Jim Becker]

Steve is correct. Effective Jan 2008, new models must have a riving knife design and all saws sold from 2014 on will have that requirement. This gives the manufacturers a few years to phase in new models and phase out old ones....or come up with a retrofit if they can figure out how to do it cost effectively if they want to continue a model.