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Our hands are very versatile and so we use them in almost everything we do.
We use them in many areas that are dangerous
Let’s review a number of serious hand injuries within similar industrial construction projects that has happened this year.
The incidents have caused a great deal of pain for the workers involved and have affected their quality of life.
While in the process of cutting a one foot 4x4 piece of blocking with a skill saw, a worker attempted to reposition his hand. (The one that was holding the 4x4)….
…The lower rotating blade wasn’t checked before use…
What could he have done to avoid this injury?
Worker was cutting a 4” conduit. Grinder bound and kicked back cutting the worker’s left wrist between his glove and jacket.
What could have been done to prevent this incident?..
The crew was removing a drift pin by positioning the pin against the head of a larger pin and striking it with a hammer.
The worker swinging the hammer missed the pin and struck his co workers hand, pinching it between the hammer and the flange.
How could have this been prevented?
As the worker was pulling the knife towards himself the blade slipped off the cable causing a laceration to his hand in the approximate location of arrow. How would you prevent this incident from happening?
During a routine bolt up an employee sustained a cut. Looking at the picture on the left. Can you see where the cut hazard was?
Could covering the sharp edge have helped?
While wearing a gold ring and removing a battery, the wrench he was using slipped grounding out causing the burn.
While climbing down a ladder this person caught his ring on the ladder.
A pinch point is a painful squeeze in between two objects. It doesn’t have to be a hand. You could drop something on your foot and that would be considered a pinch point.
However, pinch points are a leading cause to hand injuries. Whether if you slammed your hand in a door, or your hand got stuck under material while unloading a truck.
Doors
Pipe
Catch basins
Extension ladders
Heavy Equipment
Vehicles
Drawers and cupboards
Any surface you place your hand, you have a possibility to get pinched. Whether you have your hand placed on the table casually and someone drops something on it, or as a welder’s helper rolling pipe, you may pinch your thumb in between pipe and pry bar.
Working around heavy equipment can put you in harms way when it comes to pinch points.
Heavy equipment is exactly as the name says. It’s heavy. Heavy moving parts that can move faster then you’d think. Know the pinch points if you’re a spotter. Big wheels, gears, moving stationary, buckets, claws. Your hands or your body can always get pinched by any moving equipment.
PPE is one of the best forms of defense when trying to avoid hand injuries or pinch points. Although, work gloves can’t save you from pinched gears in heavy equipment, it does make it harder for your hand to be sliced through.
There are many different types of gloves to use for specific tasks. Make sure you are aware of the proper PPE before you enter a new task.
Dress appropriately for work with pants and sleeves that are not too long or too loose. Shirts should be fitted or tucked in. Do not wear any kind of jewelry. Tie back long hair and tuck braids and ponytails behind you or into your clothing. Wear the appropriate, well-fitting gloves for your job.
We have talked about rushing, about not wearing proper PPE, or using proper tools, but this is all due to lack of attention. Jobs can get repetitious. This can make it hard for a worker not to become complacent. Once you hit this wall, it is importanct to step back and re-evaluate.Look for possible pinch points before you start a task. Take the time to plan out your actions and decide on the necessary steps to work safely. Give your work your full attention. Don't joke around, daydream, or try to multi-task on the job-most accidents occur when workers are distracted. Read and follow warning signs posted on equipment. If you value all that your hands can do, THINK before you put them in a hazardous spot.