The Nation - News from Aug. 8, 1985

The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted to end eight years of efforts to regulate chain saws, after receiving a staff report that more than 90% of the saws on the market already meet voluntary safety guidelines. The commission praised the chain saw industry, noting that manufacturers have spent some $10 million on research and testing to improve safety--double what the commission put into its effort to regulate the saws. Manufacturers have incorporated such safety improvements as low-kickback chains, improved chain guides, brakes and better hand guards.