NCL Blasts FTC for Undermining Table Saw Safety Standards
Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829
Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) strongly opposes the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recommendation to roll back proposed safety standards for table saws. Each year, an estimated 54,850 Americans suffer blade-contact injuries—including 4,000 amputations—costing victims their livelihoods and society more than $4 billion annually.
Active Injury Mitigation (AIM) technology has been available for years. It stops spinning blades in under five milliseconds, preventing 70–90% of injuries. This proven, life-saving technology turns devastating amputations into minor cuts. Yet most manufacturers continue to resist safety mandates.
“It is outrageous that the FTC would put the profits of table saw manufacturers over the safety of American workers and families,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. In industry terms this is, technology neutral. AIM technology prevents injuries, and calling it anticompetitive is a slap in the face to the tens of thousands of people maimed every year. No one should lose a hand or a career because regulators refused to act.”
Today’s news underscores why NCL is building a coalition of victims, medical experts, and lawmakers to demand nationwide adoption of AIM technology. We will not back down until every consumer is protected from preventable harm.
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
