Northwest Corner Woodworkers Association

Pursuing the Pleasure of Woodworking

HOME  |  NEWS  |  CALENDAR  |  RESOURCES |  CLASSES |  GALLERY  |  FORUM  |  ABOUT US  

Resources

Resources Home

Education Programs

Library Contents

Woodworking Links

Projects & Tips

Project Plans

Tips & Techniques

Safety

Suppliers

Feedback

Bandsaw vs. Tablesaw Accidents

Submitted by Ray MicInnis

July 2005

Guys, this is a message from your faithful redneck, Billybob:

At our last education committee meeting,  the question came up: which tool has more accidents, bandsaw vs tablesaw. I have been mulling that question ever since, and would like to share my thoughts, with the possibility that others on this list will jump in as well. First, you can’t go to industrial statistic sources for stats on accidents among hobbyists/amateur woodworkers. These statistics, though, are the most reliable, because the mechanism for recording them is so well developed.

Amateur woodworkers, I assume,  are unlikely to record their accidents, because unless they go to a hospital emergency room, the event is not recorded. I have myself nicked my finger with both bandsaw and table saw , but only my wife knows about these mishaps, a phenomenon that probably reflects the experience of most amateurs.

In the end, then, recording stats such as accidents while using tablesaws and/or bandsaws is likely only anecdotal, a not too reliable source.

Moreover, as well, there are other considerations:

Because more amateur woodworkers own table saws than bandsaws, the number of accidents using table saws is greater.  

Likewise, if an amateur buys a bandsaw, after experience using a tablesaw, I believe that that initial experience with the tablesaw would make the woodworker a more careful user of the bandsaw. Anybody want to challenge this claim?

Maybe someone on this list can come up with additional thoughts.

Anyway, a quick and dirty search of the internet for “bandsaws accidents statistics” yielded about 30 hits, with the one pasted below on the top of the heap. Its contents seem to be made up of anecdotal accounts, if I’m interpreting it correctly. (The other hits in this search were, by and large, generated from industrial sources, mostly for European nations.)

Sincerely, your faithful redneck, Billybob

http://www.robson.org/woodfaq/woodfaq_3.html

Source: http://www.robson.org/woodfaq/woodfaq_3.html
(This link is no longer active)

SECTION 3: POWER TOOLS

3.1: What's the most dangerous tool?

Ken (a.k.a. TRATUS1) kept statistics for a discussion of workshop accidents on rec.ww, and came up with the following:

Tool                 Accidents    %

-------------------  ---------  -----

TS or RAS                14     (41%)

Router                    6     (18%)

Jointer                   2     ( 6%)

Nail Gun                  2     ( 6%)

Chisel                    2     ( 6%)

Xacto/utility knife       2     ( 6%)

Japanese Saw              1     ( 3%)

Circular Saw              1     ( 3%)

Power Planer              1     ( 3%)

Grinding wheel            1     ( 3%)

Drill                     1     ( 3%)

Wood Chipper              1     ( 3%) 

-------------------  ---------  -----

total accidents          34

To see the entire discussion, search the newsgroup archives on DejaNews and look for the subject "bloody boo boos." My response to Ken's message was:

Thank you for compiling that. It's a good reminder of what to watch triple-carefully. Of course, we have to remember that the number of accidents will be higher with a tool used by lots of people, and zero if nobody uses that kind of tool.

The accident survey at woodworking.org should be required reading, too. Their statistics (I'm not including every category):

Tool                 Accidents    %

-------------------  ---------  -----

Tablesaw                 50     (46%)

Router                   14     (13%)

Jointer                   8     ( 7%)

Radial-Arm Saw            6     ( 6%)

Bandsaw                   5     ( 5%)

Drill press               5     ( 5%)

Planer                    5     ( 5%)

Nail gun                  4     ( 4%)

Belt/disk sander          2     ( 2%)

Miter saw                 2     ( 2%)

Chainsaw                  3     ( 3%)

Circular saw              3     ( 3%)

Biscuit cutter            1     ( 1%)

Lathe                     1     ( 1%)

Scrollsaw                 0     ( 0%)

-------------------  ---------  -----

total accidents         109

Their accident database can be searched by tool, experience level of operator, severity of accident, or by keyword. It's great.

This database contains information on accidents which contributing woodworkers experienced or about which they have knowledge. Visitors can add their own mishaps to the database.

If there's any conclusion to be drawn from all of this, it is BE CAREFUL with your tablesaw!