Prevent Hand Injuries -
Keep the “T” in front of the OUCH!
Imagine life without the use of your hands.
Suddenly, basic tasks in the workplace and at
home, from operating a drill to turning the ignition
key in your vehicle, become major obstacles.
Clearly, our hands are vital tools for performing a
myriad of essential life and work functions, not to
mention the fact that they are one of our primary
points of contact with the world around us. Yet the
data suggests that far too many people are putting
their hands at risk – and paying a steep price. Not
only are there an estimated 110,000 lost time hand
injuries annually, but hand injuries send more than
one million workers to the emergency room each
year. In addition to the physical harm that hand
injuries pose to workers, they also have financial
implications. The average hand injury claim has
now exceeded $6,000, with each lost time workers’
compensation claim reaching nearly $7,500,
according to the BLS and the National Safety
Council. When you consider these statistics, the
overall drain on employee productivity is apparent.
Below are several ways to reduce hand injuries in your own facility through the implementation of a
hand safety program:
Identify trends or patterns related to incidents of hand injuries in your facilities. A trend
analysis should be based on a combination of lagging (reactive) and leading (proactive)
performance indicators. For example, a facility could measure the number of reportable hand
injuries (lagging), while also measuring the reduction of risks associated with the hazards that
contribute to hand injuries (leading). The analysis of these trends enables facility
management to gain a better understanding of the types of hand injuries employees are
experiencing and what behaviors or work tasks may be leading to those injuries.
Perform a job-hazard analysis, or job-hazard assessment. A job-hazard analysis is a
technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur. It focuses
on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment.
Confirm that required hand protection meets or exceeds regulatory standards. Once the
appropriate hand protection has been identified, make sure that hand protection is the correct
type, model, and size according to regulatory standards per each specific “glove on” task
requiring the use of hand protection.
Provide employee training. It’s important that all employees utilizing hand protection also be
trained initially and on a reoccurring basis, when new hand protection is required and/or
provided and if evaluation indicates training deficiency is noted. Training should address the
tasks for which hand protection use is required and potential hazards of tasks, what hand
protection is required, how to wear the hand protection, limitations of the hand protection and
proper use and care of hand protection, maintenance, inspections, service life, and disposal.
Conduct periodic audits to ensure continued compliance - Maintaining compliance is critical
when working to reduce hand injuries. Periodic audits should be conducted to evaluate the
effectiveness of current hand protection strategies and policies, as well as to adjust hand
protection requirements as needed. Audits should include observations of employee work
habits during a variety of job tasks. This will help determine whether employees are following
procedures and wearing required PPE.
By encouraging PPE compliance and having a well-grounded culture that values safety and shared
accountability, workplaces are safer and more productive.