The Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering proposals to improve the safety of table saws. Its staff says those tools cause an estimated 11 amputations a day and thousands of injuries each year. Safety improvements could involve a braking mechanism for table saws. The commission has seen demonstrations of one such device, called SawStop, which would stop a saw blade upon encountering someone’s finger or hand.

SawStop detects flesh and almost instantly stops the saw blade from spinning and drops it into the tool, away from fingers and hands. Manufacturers have argued that the technology is too expensive. Meanwhile, here are safety rules to protect against saw injuries:

• Wear safety goggles and hearing protection, and avoid loose clothing and jewelry that could get snagged.
  
• Use the correct blade and make sure it’s clean and sharp.
  
• Adjust the saw so that you are using only as much blade as you need to clear the material being cut.