To reduce the risk of injury, one should take the following steps:
1. Find the right gloves
2. Keep your eyes on your hands
3. Make it visible
4. Utilize end-user leading indicators
Prevention The first sign of a hand injury is often a tingling or pain that occurs during an activity. As the injury progresses, the injured area feels weak or painful even when work is just starting, and it continues after work is over. In later stages, even with the hand at rest, the injured area feels weak, may ache or have pins and needles. “You’re feeling it all the time. This is where it could disrupt your sleep. It could disrupt a lot of functions, including activities during the weekend,”. To prevent hand injuries, I advise workers to keep elbows down on work surfaces, to keep palms down, wrists straight and to shift position often. Use both hands to do tasks, and grip an object with the whole hand, not just fingers. Try to avoid applying pressure to a tool with the palm. “Sometimes, people use their hand as a hammer. That’s one of the worst things you can do,” he says. “The median nerve ends in the centre of the palm, and that’s a very delicate, sensitive area.”
ALWAYS REMIND THE TEAMS to CONSIDER
Like anything else we use constantly, we tend to take our hands for granted – that is, until we injure a hand or finger. Suddenly the simplest tasks, like buttoning a shirt, signing your name, or twisting open a jar lid becomes difficult, if not impossible.
More than a half million disabling hand and finger injuries happen on the job every year, and there are many ways you can be affected.
Amputations – the cutting off of all or part of the hand. This is the most serious type of hand injury.
Lacerations – cuts that can be major when nerves or tendons are severed.
Burns – from contact with heat, chemicals, or electricity.
Fractures – when a hand breaks a fall, gets crushed under a heavy object, or gets trapped or twisted.
Dermatitis – itching, swelling rashes or allergies from chemical contact or latex gloves.
Punctures – from splinters to a stab wound from a spiked tool can pierce through skin to tendons, ligaments, and muscle tissue. Infections are a common problem with punctures.
Preventing hand injuries:
- Don’t stick hands or fingers into anything before looking! That includes machines, desk drawers, toolboxes, dark areas, holes, etc. You just never know what’s inside!
- Don’t remove machine guards! They’re there to protect you from mechanical hazards.
- Don’t wear gloves, rings, watches, bracelets, or loose long sleeves when you work with machinery. Long hair should be tied back.
- Don’t use your hands to push materials into saws and other machinery – use a push stick.
- Don’t use your hands to sweep up metal or glass chips – use a brush.
- Don’t put your hands or fingers in a situation which could present a pinch point.
- Be careful around electricity. Only 10 milliamps can contract your muscles so you can’t “let go”.
- Wear leather work gloves when handling materials such as lumber, angle iron, etc.
- Always wash hands before eating to avoid ingesting lead, chemicals, and other harmful residues.