Some common vaccines that prevent such diseases as diphtheria, whooping cough and meningitis contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that fights bacteria and fungi. Thimerosal is also used in the production of certain vaccines, which retain trace amounts of the compound.

Ethylmercury, the form of the element used in thimerosal, is known to be toxic at high doses. And during the treaty negotiations representatives from several nations and advocacy groups argued that it should be phased out.

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An Oscar Meyer wiener, serving as proxy for a finger, was pushed into the spinning blade of a table saw. The demonstration at the International Woodworkers Fair in Atlanta mimicked the way gruesome table saw injuries often occur. But this saw was equipped with a safety device called SawStop that allowed the blade to distinguish between wood and flesh, and to stop fast enough to prevent serious harm. Sure enough, the blade came to a dead stop in about three one-thousandths of a second, leaving the dog with only a minor nick.

Table saw accidents are painful, life-changing and expensive. Each year, more than 67,000 U.S. workers and do-it-yourselfers suffer blade contact injuries, according to government estimates, including more than 33,000 injuries treated in emergency rooms and 4,000 amputations. 

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