Your Hands

The most common cause of hand injuries in the workplace today is human error. That’s right... not lack of personal protective hand coverage, not faulty machines, not environmental issues. Your own personal mistakes.

So what does that say about workers today? That we’re incompetent? No, even the most skilled and experienced workers are susceptible to hand-related work injuries. Human error doesn’t mean we can’t handle the job, but it does mean we have a tendency to become complacent and get distracted while working. Complacency and distraction are dangerous habits that lead to numerous work-related injuries.

The most common types of hand injuries are bruises, pinches, lacerations, abrasions, strains, amputations, dislocations, and Carpal Tunnel. The non-dominant hand is the most vulnerable to injury.

Hazards

Pinch Points

Pinch points are places found between two objects, such as a machine with two continuously moving parts, where hands can get caught.

Rotating Parts

Many machines use rotating motions. Machinery of this type include clutches, spindles and fans. Hand injuries incurred from such machinery are often the result of loose-fitting gloves, which can accidentally feed into the machinery, taking a worker’s hand with it.

Hot and Cold Spots

Hot areas in machinery, found in equipment like injection molders and welding instruments, can cause serious burns to the hands. The same goes for hot flames on burners and cutting and brazing equipment. Exposure to extremely cold temperatures and surfaces, such as transfer pipes in refrigeration systems, is equally dangerous and can also cause severe burns.

Entanglement

Jewelry and loose clothing or personal protective equipment can easily get caught in moving machinery and pull a finger or entire hand into the equipment.

Prevention

We know the main causes of hand injuries, but what can do we do to prevent them? Some common practices employers and employees can implement to reduce the risk of hand injury are; engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Engineering controls reduce hazards through the use of equipment that has built-in measures to protect the worker. Some common types of engineering controls include safety guards, electrical proximity limiting devices, emergency stop devices, and ergonomic tools.

Administrative controls are procedures management puts in place, and are useful when engineering controls either cannot be implemented or cannot alone effectively reduce risk. Ex: Workplace safety training, lock and tag rules, etc.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn to minimize hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or sufficient. The PPE worn to protect hands are gloves.

Gloves

Wearing the proper type of PPE, which in the case of your hands would be gloves, is vital when it comes to safety.

Protective gloves keep hazardous chemicals off the skin, stop splinters and slivers, resist punctures and cuts from rough or sharp materials and objects, and protect against heat and cold.

It is crucial that gloves fit correctly since loose-fitting gloves can get caught in machinery. Before using, gloves should always be checked for damage and wear. Workers should use the right type of glove for their job based on their employer’s hazard assessment.