U.S. Cuts Safe Saw Law Plan

WASHINGTON — Eight years and thousands of injuries after it began looking into the dangers of chain saws, the Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded today that significant safety advances have made government regulation of the machines unnecessary.

The commission voted 3 to 0 to accept a staff recommendation that it drop its effort to write mandatory safety regulations for the saws. Voluntary rules established by the chain saw industry already cover 90% of the saws being sold and should prove effective in reducing injuries, the staff said.