HANDs SAFETY

Five Topics
on Hand Safety
 HANDs SAFETY
Guide for Supervisors:
• What hazards to the hands are
foreseeable with this task?
• Do your people have the knowledge,
skills and training necessary to complete
the task safely?
• Can the hazards be eliminated, isolated,
or minimized?
• Are gloves appropriate (e.g. rotating
equipment)?
• Is the glove application appropriate for
the hazard?
 HANDs SAFETY
Danger
Topic No 1 Zone!

• Five Safety Topics which focus on hand safety

• Each features a Danger Zone area
• Have a look at the examples of real injuries in
this presentation and discuss how to avoid the
injuries that can occur in each
• A concept that can be used in each TOPIC is
shown below
• Each one will be about how you keep hands out
of Danger Zones by primary or secondary
means
• Secondary means are typically accomplished by
gloves, but should always be used in
conjunction with primary control method
Never rely solely on gloves for protection
Good Hand Position Poor Hand Position

Danger Danger
Zone! Zone!
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Primary Hand Protection
• One of the best and most effective means of
primary hand protection is good hand position. Don’t
position your hands where they can be:
 Cut or punctured by sharp objects
 Burned by hot objects or chemicals
 Pinched between objects
 Struck by objects (stored energy)
• In order that you properly position your hands,
first recognize the hazard, then develop a work
practice to keep hands out of “The Danger Zone!”
• The best safety device for your hands is your
mind. By being alert and aware you can avoid poor
hand positioning and keep them out of “The
Danger Zone”
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Wrong hand position !!!
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Topic No: 2
Injuries Caused by Sharp Objects
The hands and fingers are the most often injured
parts of the body and it’s very easy to understand
why. There are few work activities, which do not
involve the hands. The potential for injury is always
there
AVOID THE DANGER ZONE
The most common types of hand injury are
puncture wounds and lacerations. These involve:
– cutting fingers through misuse of knives
– crushing injuries through entrapment
– chemical burns
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Incision and Inside Front of Hand
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Topic No: 2 (cont’d)
• As you can tell, all these injuries occurred
during normal, everyday type job activities
• When we ask ourselves how we could have
avoided these injuries, our first impulse is to
say “better glove usage”
• You might be surprised to know that in most of
these incidents, gloves were being worn
• Gloves should always be considered as a
“secondary” level of defense
• While proper gloves for the task, in good
condition, prevent many injuries “primary”
levels of defense are much more effective
Examples Include:
– Proper planning each job activity
– Checking material/equipment for rough or sharp
edges before handling
– Making sure moving machinery is guarded
– Maintaining an effective barrier between hands
and hazards by using tools or other aids
– Good housekeeping on workbenches etc.
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Topic No. 2 (cont’d)
On the previous slide are a few of the things to
consider (primary levels of defense) in order to
prevent exposure to hazards, before considering
whether gloves (secondary level of defense) are
appropriate for the job

Keep this concept in mind and do whatever it takes

to keep your hands out of:

THE DANGER ZONE

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Wound Caused by Chainsaw
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Incision to Palm of Hand
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Knife Blade Gripped
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Topic No: 3
Thermal/Chemical Contact Injuries

• Thermal and chemical contact hand injuries, along

with the other types of hand injuries, are easily
prevented if hands are kept out of:

THE DANGER ZONE

• The most common hand injuries associated with
contact with hot surfaces and chemicals
include:
– burns - both chemical and thermal
– types of dermatitis, known as skin rash

• Both types of injuries can be serious and painful

• Laundry detergents and other household

varieties can cause not only dermatitis, but also
chemical burns - skin contact with detergents
must be avoided
• To clean any part of the body ensure that the
detergent or cleaners has been specifically
designed for skin contact
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Skin Graft to Burn Injury
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Split Skin Graft
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Topic No 3 (Cont’d)
• Chemicals and hot surfaces or materials
are the greatest source of exposure
• Chemical exposure can be associated with
those used in process, during construction
and/or repair and maintenance activities
• Usually involves paints, coatings, thinners and
other solvents
• Materials such as fibreglass insulation and steel
wool can also cause dermatitis through
mechanical irritation
• Burns can result from contact with chemicals
such as acid or caustic and of course from hot
surfaces, liquid or materials
• For all of the risks associated with the hazards
listed above, the primary line of defense is safe
working practices - all intended to keep our
hands out of :

KEEP OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE

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Topic No 3 (Cont’d)
• Below are examples of safe working
practices relative to the prevention of hand
injuries from thermal or chemical contact:
– substitute chemicals for less hazardous
products that won’t cause dermatitis or
burns
– use simple tools such as pliers to move or
hold hot materials
– place “hot” warning signs near hot objects
– use containers which have been specifically
designed to carry and contain chemicals
– good hygiene, includes methods to remove
contaminated gloves without skin contact
– good housekeeping associated with removal
of contaminated materials
• The second line of defense should be gloves,
but they must be the right type for the job
– heavy duty leather for hot metal etc.
– specifically designed to suit chemical type
– either of synthetic or natural rubber material
– check the MSDS to determine glove type
KEEP OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE
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Topic No: 4
Injuries Involving Stored Energy
• Consider what can we do to protect our hands
from injuries that are caused by stored energy
• When we refer to stored energy we mean “pent-
up” energy, that could be released unexpectedly if
not maintained under control
• Stored energy includes:
– hydraulic fluids under pressure
– compressed air
– energy stored in compressed springs
– process chemicals under pressure
– potential energy from suspended objects
– arm energy e.g. when you push/pull a wrench
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Ring Finger Amputation
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Ring Finger Amputation
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Topic No: 4 (cont’d)
• How do we protect our hands from stored energy
• Firstly, we need to recognise it exists prior to
commencing an activity
• However, stored energy is not always easily
recognizable
• The electrical power source on an item of
workshop equipment may be locked out, but
pressure may still be present in a hydraulic
cylinder
• A valve or blank in line may have pressure against
it because a valve further upstream has leaked or
has been cracked open
• An unrecognized high centre of gravity may cause
a piece of equipment to topple over unexpectedly
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Topic No 4 (cont’d)
• Consider what work practices we can follow to
prevent hand injuries associated with stored or
pent-up energy
– always lock-off and tag energy sources before
placing hands in the Danger Zone
– determine if there are multiple energy sources
present on the same piece of equipment
– remember to bleed off stored energy in cylinders,
receivers, pipelines etc.
– look out for alternate supply feeds, bypassed
interlocks or valves that may not be properly
closed
– when applying force (push or pull) be prepared for
an unexpected slip or release
– keep hands from under suspended loads
– consider the force of gravity
– always use the right tools for the job and ensure
those tools are in good condition
– recognize that gloves will not offer you the means
of total protection from injuries where stored
energy is present
KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF
THE DANGER ZONE
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Topic No 5:
Injuries Received From Pinch Points
Take a brief moment to look at your hands:
• Your hands tell a lot about you and give some
indication of your past
• If you are like most people, one or more visible
scars will exist
• Each scar will have a unique story of misfortune
attached to it
• These scars will perhaps have been the result of
being caught in a pinch-point

• Pinch points are created any time two objects

come together
• A classic example of a pinch-point is where a
closing door and door frame come together, a
time and a place where you don’t want your
hand
KEEP OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE
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Fingers Crushed by a Press
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Topic No 5 (Cont’d)
• In this industry we have sustained many injuries
involving pinch points
• Examples include:
– Floorman and Driller removing elevators from
bales, thumb caught in pinch point between
elevators and bales causing laceration that
required sutures
– Crewmember attempted to hold door to prevent it
from slamming, finger caught between door and
jamb causing laceration that required sutures

• In each of those examples gloves did little to

prevent the injury
• The key to avoiding those injuries is the
identification and recognition of pinch-points
associated with each task
• An objective over the next week is to identify
pinch points in our work environment
• Identify them and then decide how they can be
avoided
• Use mechanical means to move material or
equipment, as opposed to manual application
KEEP OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE
 HANDs SAFETY

Danger Zones Injury Types

 Handling or struck by sharp
objects
 Caught in rotating
equipment
 Energized systems
 Struck by or against objects
 Caught in pinch points
 Miss-use of portable power
tools; working on energized
tools
 Contact with hot objects or
materials
 Contact with caustic or
corrosive materials
 Poor hygiene practices
 Repetitive motion/poor
equipment design
 Improperly dressed wounds
 Poor hand or body position
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KEEP OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE

Danger Safety
Zone Buffer

Primary Level
of Defence
Awareness
Safe Work Practices:
Secondary Level
 Tool Holders
of Defence
 Tag Lines
 Correct Tools PPE:
 Push Tools Safety
 Good Hygiene Buffer Gloves required?
Body and Hand Position Correct gloves?
Training/Competence
Distance
Equipment Guarding
Physical Barrier

ARE BOTH LEVELS IN PLACE?

HANDs SAFETY