The Highest Preventable Injuries

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1 Million workers are sent to the emergency room each year because of serious hand injuries. That’s higher than the entire population of Fresno County!!! 

Today we are going to take a look at serious hand injuries, but first let’s start with the (5) excuses I hear the most when employees or subcontractors are not wearing safety gloves:

1. "I work better with my bare hands". This is just another way of saying you don't see the value in wearing gloves. As Safety Practitioners we often find workers with this lame excuse are required to wear gloves that are unsuitable. Usually this is either due to incorrect sizing, or failure to provide job specific gloves. The truth is, using the right glove protects your hands, and makes the task easier (e.g. reduce hand fatigue, increase grip). Employees and Subcontractors should be trained on the importance of hand safety before being allowed on site. (Solution) Select gloves specifically designed for the tasks being performed and scope of work.

2. "These gloves have no grip" or "I can't fill anything". All to often I get this excuse, the truth is some workers just are not use to working with gloves on. As competent persons we understand that gloves enhance you grip. Solution: Equipping worker with gloves that will help employees to perform their task, this means, no excuses!

3. "My hands get sweaty and slippery". Not surprising when performing manual work in hot conditions. Luckily, there are lot of gloves designed with breathable linings or ventilation holes to combat this issue.

4. "I loss my gloves". This type of excuse is just another way of saying. I don't care what you say I'm not using gloves. However if an employee is working with major machinery that rotates and does not have a safety guard then gloves actually can lead to injuries. In this case wear tight, form fitting gloves like the Craftsmen cut resistant 325's. or write a variance and inform upper management before allowing workers to remove gloves for this process.

5. "I've got sensitive skin". Actually skin irritation is one of the most common reasons people don't want to wear gloves. But the truth is, skin irritation is unlikely to be from the gloves, and if it is, there are some options to help. Solution: Make sure your hands are clean and dry before putting on clean gloves.

In a recent U.S. Department of Labor study of all injures reported, fingers and hands account for more than 23%, making them the highest in preventable injuries and in terms of lost workdays, they ranked second only to neck injuries.

“Sadly” meat processing plants “like” Tyson, SYSCO Corp, Foster Farms and Oscar Mayer have a vast majority of employees who suffer hand injuries, are just not wearing gloves at the time or wearing the wrong kind of gloves.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistic confirms the risk. As a result of non-compliance, hand injuries have increased more then 2.5 times. Medical cost and disability claims have escalated rapidly, and the cost of a single injury multiplies with each workday missed.

The National Safety Council study reports that the cost of just one disabling hand of finger injury varies from $540 to $26,000 per patient. With a serious upward extremity trauma averaging $730,000 per incident.

According to a recent (OSHA) study, 70.9% of hand and arm injuries could have been prevented with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), specifically gloves. Each excuse above illustrates clearly why continued education about hand and cut protections is so important.

When it comes to choosing hand protection, the knowledge gap between inadequate traditional materials and advanced scientific fibers is ultimately it's a battle between old perceptions and the right information.  

If you have heard any of these or other excuses, please leave a comment.

"Now we're Talking Safety"!!!