HAZARD:
Lacerations, Punctures, Abrasions and Contusions of Hands
Hand injuries can be prevented by wearing the proper gloves. 100% of the 42 VSC
employee injuries to hands, fingers & thumbs reported to Risk & Safety could have been avoided by wearing Type II Cut Resistant Gloves! On average these injuries cost $15,000 on average per cut over the last two years for medical. Better to wear the correct gloves than end up in the doctor’s office!
Tasks & Procedures Causing Injuries:
- Removing banding straps from bundled material.
- Cleaning metal shavings from pipe threads with hands instead of a wire brush.
- Picking up & working with sharp edged material such as putting bare hand inside pipe or constructing alarm panels or vent hoods.
- Puncture or lacerations from installing or removing material near sharp objects – e.g. duct work, unistrut and all thread bar supports “trapeze” for pipe, ventilation ducts and other utilities, and ceiling suspension wires.
- Moving and sorting through material in vehicles to access items.
- Cutting hands and fingers on sharp rails and studs when climbing ladders.
- Using box cutters to open material or to cut plastic seals & zip ties.
- Improper use of Band Saw (holding saw with one hand, and material with the other hand).
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES:
When handling materials with sharp & pointed edges, or performing other tasks described
above, YOU must wear, at minimum, Type II (A2) Cut Resistant Work Gloves!
Use adequate lighting in ceiling areas when needed to spot sharps !
Revised July 2024