An average of 180,000 hand-related injuries occurred on-the-job each year. All of these injuries are preventable with proper safety training.

A whopping 70% of those victims were not wearing protective gloves.

The other 30% were wearing gloves, BUT the gloves were either ill-fitting or the wrong type for the job.

The most common types of hand injuries are:

• Bruises
• Pinches
• Lacerations
• Abrasions
• Strains
• Amputations
• Dislocations

Sooo many hand injuries are preventable.

What you need to do, is make sure that both types of control efforts are engaged.

That’s engineering controls, like safety guards, emergency stop devices, and ergonomic tools...

And Administrative controls, like safety training, lock-out/tag-out rules, and warning signs.

What’s most critical? Gloves, and there are different types of gloves to know and use:

• Heat resistant: Protects against burns
• Metal Mesh, Kevlar, Tough Synthetic Yarn: Protects against cuts and punctures
• Non-Conductive: Thicker types protect against electrical shock and burns. Thinner types protect against bloodborne substances, and some chemical.
• Neoprene, Nitrile, Latex, Vinyl: Protect against petroleum products and chemicals
• Leather: Protect against rouch objects, sparks, and heat
• Waterproof: Protect against wet environments

Failing to use gloves, and ones that are job-appropriate and the right size, is like asking for an accident to happen.

Until next time, stay positive, stay safe, and remember your safety training!