Hand Injuries
1/20/2020
Over the past few months, while attending several tailgate meetings, I have brought up the topic of hazard assessments and hand protection. The fact is, in 2019, we have had more than our fair share of hand injuries. And, in just about every instance, the injured worker did not take the time to consider that having their hands unprotected can result in an injury.
A number of these events I am referring to involved metal gates where a movable hinge needed to be adjusted. Most cases occurred as the gate hinge was jammed; either due to the terminal post being severely bent or the supporting bands’ loss of flexibility (i.e. needing lubrication or due to freezing weather conditions). And then, after applying force, there was a sudden release of tension, causing the gate to contact the worker’s hand, resulting in a substantial pinch point injury. Results ranged from minor skin abrasions or cuts to deep gashes that required stiches – this last incident was categorized as an OSHA recordable case.
While there cannot be any way to conclusively determine – that is, after-the-fact – if our fellow workers wore proper gloves, these injuries would have been prevented or possibly mitigated to a less severe consequence; however, after performing an investigation, the root cause and contributing factors appear to indicate that workers did not take the time to examine the specific task and associated hazards.
By applying a hazard assessment for work tasks, we can identify potential risks and thereby, employ appropriate controls. And in the case of pinch points from handling gates, gloves have been determined (according to all the major S&H associations, such as the American Society of Safety Professionals) to be a viable method to help reduce the severity and even prevent hand injuries. Yes, other controls can be instituted, such as having regular maintenance schedules established so that equipment and materials are inspected for their hazards (and then corrected/repaired). And quite honestly, according to the “Hierarchy of Controls,” this type of corrective action is preferred over using PPE (as PPE is always considered the last resort).
Hazard assessments do not always need to be an extensive, formalized process. In many instances, performing a simple task, such as opening a gate, a few seconds prior to performing this task, maybe all that is needed. Of course, it is very important to relay this information to your supervisor and co-workers, so that future incidents are controlled; quite possibly via engineering controls (i.e. repairing the gate), or administrative controls (training, warning signs, etc.).
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit