Copyright © 2012 American Safety Management Inc.

Hand Safety

• Nearly 12% of all on-the-job injuries involve hands and fingers

• Injuries to fingers and thumb rank as the 3rd most frequently injured body parts

• The majority of these injuries could have been prevented

Injury Statistics

• Traumatic:– Lacerations, punctures, fractures, amputations

• Repetitive Motion:– Doing certain tasks over and over again– Cumulative trauma

• Contact:– Thermal, chemical

Three Types of Injuries

Traumatic Injuries

• Most common types• Generally result from improper use of tools or

from inadequate guarding of machines• Traumatic injury results from a sudden,

unexpected incident but repetitive motion injury results from lifetime of misuse

• Both are easily preventable if proper precautions are taken

Traumatic/Repetitive Motion

• A good set of tools is one of the most important safety devices we use– Take the place of our hands– Do jobs our hands cannot do– Keep our hands from getting hurt

• Tool must be right for the job

Hand Tools

• Tool not suited for the job– Use pliers instead of a wrench to loosen or tighten pipe

fittings– Use a knife as a screwdriver– Using a shovel as a pry bar

• Improper tools can cause workers to– Slip or fall– Gouge themselves– Pinch their hands– Suffer other kinds of injuries

Makeshift Tools

• Greatest hazard comes from misuse and poor maintenance

• All tools should be inspected prior to use• Use tools only for their designated purpose• Important to select right size AND type of tool for

the job

Hand Tool Safety

• Tingling• Swelling in the joints• Decreased ability to move• Decreased grip strength• Pain from movement, pressure, or exposure to cold or

vibration• Continual muscle fatigue• Sore muscles• Numbness• Change in the skin color of your hands or fingertips

Symptoms of the Wrong Tool

• Choosing the right tool will help prevent traumatic and repetitive motion injuries

• Consider size, shape, grip– Handles without sharp

edges, have a non-slip surface, and are coated with a soft material

– Angled tools help keep wrist straight

Selecting Hand Tools

• Tools that can work in either hand are best

• Use proper tool for the area– Spark resistant tool

around flammable liquids

• Consider quality as well

Selecting Hand Tools

• Fits the job you are doing

• Fits the work space available

• Reduces the force you need to apply

• Fits your hand

• Can be used in a comfortable work position

The Best Tool in General

• If possible, secure all work with a vise or a clamp

• Always wear appropriate PPE for the job

• Don’t work with oily or greasy hands

Using Hand Tools

• Maintain sharpness of all cutting tools– Duller does NOT mean safer– Sharper does NOT mean dangerous

• Remove damaged tools from service to prevent others from accidentally using them

• After using a tool, clean it and put it back in its proper location

Using Hand Tools

• Do not hoist or lower portable electric hand tools by their power cords; use a rope

• If you carry sharp tools, keep the edges pointed away from yourself and others

• Do not use “extenders” on hand tools• When using a wrench, pull it toward you• Avoid striking tempered steel tools together

Using Hand Tools

Machine Guarding

• Another way to prevent hand injuries is with guards and barriers that keep the hands (and other body parts) from coming into contact with dangerous hazards

• OSHA has some strong language with respect to machine guarding

OSHA

One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guarding methods are-barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.

OSHA

Guards shall be affixed to the machine where possible and secured elsewhere if for any reason attachment to the machine is not possible. The guard shall be such that it does not offer an accident hazard in itself.

OSHA

The point of operation of machines (where work is actually performed on material) whose operation exposes an employee to injury, shall be guarded. The guarding device shall . . . be so designed and constructed as to prevent the operator from having any part of his body in the danger zone during the operating cycle.

OSHA

Special hand tools for placing and removing material shall be such as to permit easy handling of material without the operator placing a hand in the danger zone. Such tools shall not be in lieu of guarding but can only be used to supplement protection provided.

Special Hand Tools

When it becomes necessary for hands to be in close proximity to the point of operation, the push stick or block may provide a few inches of safety and prevent a severe injury.

OSHA

When the periphery of the blades of a fan is less than seven (7) feet above the floor or working level, the blades shall be guarded. The guard shall have openings no larger than one-half (1/2) inch.

Machine Safety

• Most dangerous area is point of operation

• Point of Operation is area where work is done– Cutting, punching,

drilling, etc.• All machines should

be guarded to prevent accidental contact

Machine Guarding

• Guards are there to protect employees

• Should not create additional hazards or interfere with machine operation

• Can guard by creating a physical barrier or by creating distance

Machine Guarding

• Guard should never be removed while machine is operating

• Only qualified personnel should ever remove guards

• These personnel should be trained in proper lockout/tagout procedure

• Anytime a guard is removed, must use proper lockout/tagout procedure

Art or Science?

• Sometimes employees remove a guard because they say the guard interferes with their ability to do the job

• The correct approach is to design a better guard • Never remove or bypass a guard• Otherwise run risk of injury and OSHA fines

Machine Guarding

Minimum General Requirements

Prevent Contact

• The safeguard must prevent hands, arms, and any other part of a worker's body from making contact with dangerous moving parts.

• A good safeguarding system eliminates the possibility of the operator or another worker placing parts of their bodies near hazardous moving parts.

Secure

• Workers should not be able to easily remove or tamper with the safeguard, because a safeguard that can easily be made ineffective is no safeguard at all.

• Guards and safety devices should be made of durable material that will withstand the conditions of normal use. They must firmly be secured to the machine.

Protect From Falling Objects

• The safeguard should ensure that no objects can fall into moving parts.

• A small tool which is dropped into a cycling machine could easily become a projectile that could strike and injure someone.

Create No New Hazards

•  A safeguard defeats its own purpose if it creates a hazard of its own such as a shear point, a jagged edge, or an unfinished surface which can cause a laceration.

• The edges of guards for instance, should be rolled or bolted in such a way that they eliminate sharp edges.

Create No Interference

• Any safeguard which impedes a worker from performing the job quickly and comfortably might soon be overridden or disregarded.

• Proper safeguarding can actually enhance efficiency as it can relieve the worker's apprehensions about injury.

Allow Safe Lubrication

• Any safeguard which impedes a worker from performing the job quickly and comfortably might soon be overridden or disregarded.

• Proper safeguarding can actually enhance efficiency as it can relieve the worker's apprehensions about injury.

OEM Guards

• They usually conform to the design and function of the machine.

• They can be designed to strengthen the machine in some way or to serve some additional functional purposes.

User-Built Guards

• Often, with older machinery, they are the only practical safeguarding solution.

• They can be designed and built to fit unique and even changing situations.

• Design and installation of machine safeguards by plant personnel can help to promote safety consciousness in the workplace.

Training

• A description and identification of the hazards associated with particular machines;

• The safeguards themselves, how they provide protection, and the hazards for which they are intended;

• How to use the safeguards and why;

Training (Cont.)

• How and under what circumstances safeguards can be removed, and by whom (in most cases, repair or maintenance personnel only); and

• When a lockout/tagout program is required.• What to do (e.g., contact the supervisor) if a

safeguard is damaged, missing, or unable to provide adequate protection.

Contact Injuries

• Less common but can be just as severe

• Never touch an object to determine if it is hot/cold

• Know what surfaces or objects could be hot/cold that are in your work environment

Contact Injuries

• Always where proper PPE for job at hand• Long sleeves can help prevent contact injuries

with sharp edges or hot/cold surfaces• If working with chemicals, consult MSDS to

familiarize yourself with all hazards associated with that chemical

• Never use a chemical unless you are familiar with all the hazards

5 Reasons Hands Get in Trouble

• “I was in a hurry”• “I forgot”• “I was distracted”• “It can’t happen to me”• “I just had to touch it to see if it was (hot, sharp,

working”

Key Points

• A severe hand injury will change your quality of life forever

• Hand injuries are preventable as long as proper safety precautions are taken

• Always use right tool for the job and never use a tool for anything other than its intended purpose

• Recognize when a machine should be guarded and never use a machine if the guard has been removed

• Don’t let a moment of carelessness lead to a lifetime of regret!