Safety to the extreme at Home Depot

[Brian Elfert]

I was walking through a Home Depot the other day and came upon the RAS in the lumber area. It had some fancy new jig on it for crosscutting lumber. It was a monstrosity. There is basically no way of getting anywhere close to the blade.

The lumber is slid in and a handle pushes the lumber up against the fence. No hand is required to hold the wood and they even have a resting spot for the free hand. The blade slides through a slot with a blade guard covering the blade 100%.

This seems like safety taken to the extreme. Only someone brain dead could possibly get hurt.

Brian Elfert

[Geo]

Never underestimate the power of the consumer to get injured in spite of these safety devices. Then, nver underesstimate the power of the consumer to remove these devices, get injured, then blame the manufacturer for a) failing to design a safe device; b) failing to forsee that the user would remove the safety device and plow a body part into a spinning blade; and c) anything else a sharp lawyer could come up with to earn a buck.

[nailshooter41]

Geo wrote:

[Brian Elfert]

This is something Home Depot added to the saw. It is even Home Depot orange in color. I don't see how any employee could remove this without a bunch of tools and a lot of time. It is not a simple safety guard like a normal RAS.

It still seems like safety taken to the extreme. Somebody would have to stick a hand in a foot or more to get to the blade.

Brian Elfert

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

Sounds like HD had an accident on their RAS somewhere and this is the corporate, cover our ass reaction. Cheers, cc

[Greg G]

Have you looked at the employees they hire? In the past two years they have gone _steadily_ downhill in the 'smarts' department...

Greg G.

[B a r r y]

That's following my retail / fast food law.

The quality of service at retail and fast food joints is inverse to the quality of the overall economy.

When the economy moves in a negative direction, the quality of retail and fast food employee goes up, as talented, hard working folks need jobs. As our economy enters a positive cycle, the better employees move on into better jobs, leaving those unable to get better jobs behind.

Barry

[Greg G]

OK - So how does that explain a faltering economy AND the worthless employees? Me thinks you need a new law...

Law # 2: Avarice Rules.

Greg G.

[Duane Bozarth]

Seems very sensible to me from a management point of view---the cost of a single lost-time accident would more than make up for the cost of the modification...

[Jane & David]

Well, you never know. Back in my pizza slinging days, a new bus boy was cleaning the meat slicer. Those commercial slicers were pretty well guarded to keep up from cutting off our fingers. But somehow, and with the safety guards in place, this dumb SOB found a way to cut his elbow!

PDX David

[noonenparticular]

The second they invent something idiot proof, along comes a better idiot....

I didn't make this up, but I've seen it in action more times than I care to count.

jc

[Lee Gordon]

Home Depot's got 'em.

Lee

[Lee Gordon]

If I had employees who did that they would become ex-employees in short order.

Lee

[Lee Gordon]

There's no such thing, especially when idiots and power tools are allowed to be in the same room.

Lee

[Bruce Barnett]

Collectively? or Individually? :-)

[CW]

[Mark & Juanita]

He doesn't have to come up with a new rule nor explain because we aren't in a faltering economy. Some areas of the country are having some problems, but the remainder of the country is in an up cycle. I know that kind of screws up your complaint about the current administration, but despite the attempt to make the public think the current times are worse than the Great Depression: Spending is up, unemployment is down, and the housing market continues to grow.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[TeamCasa]

Instantly in my shop. Dave

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[Greg G]

Ta dum, dum, dum, dum ,dum, dum, dum, dum.... I hear those neo-con drums beating still...

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics.

Greg G.

[Mark & Juanita]

Really sucks when the facts don't support your opinions, doesn't it? ad hominem is all that's left

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+