Preventing Workplace
Preventing Workplace Hand Lacerations
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 250,000 serious hand, finger and wrist injuries occur in the private industry annually. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also estimates that approximately 111,000 workers with hand and finger injuries lose days away from work annually – second only to back strain and sprain.
Hand injuries are no light matter, especially in industries where hand tools play a predominant role in the day-to-day operations of a business. In fact, OSHA statistics indicate that more than 10 percent of all on-the-job injuries involve the use or misuse of hand tools. While hand tools are common, many workers do not appreciate the possibility of injury when using them.
Researchers at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, in collaboration with colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, conducted a study of occupational acute hand injuries. The risk of a hand injury was significantly elevated when working with equipment, tools, or work pieces not performing as expected, when using a different work method to do a task, doing an unusual task, being distracted, and/or rushed.
When addressing the task of reducing the risk of lacerations, employers should consider two elements: the tools and the person using the tool. While the use of tools, such as box cutters or utility knives, can and does heighten the risk of injury in the workplace, it’s most often the worker’s behavior that contributes to the injury. Nothing can replace solid training with hand tools to help prevent future injuries, as well as an attitude of vigilance when enforcing workplace safety.
To begin, employers and managers should ensure that the workplace environment has been made as safe as possible. Equipment and products should be inspected for sharp hazards on a regular basis. Managers should also eliminate, pad, or guard edges and surfaces that present a risk to employees. Above all, good housekeeping and organization should be maintained at all times. (more…)
