Hand Safety

Did You Know?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) caused by frequent, forceful hand exertions, is one of the most common and costly MSDs

Vibrating hand tools can cause vibration syndrome. It has adverse circulatory and neural effects in the fingers.

1 million workers are treated in an ER for hand injuries annually.

70% of workers who experienced a hand injury were not wearing gloves

Another 30% of victims had gloves on, but they were damaged or inadequate for the work task

Job rotation and frequent breaks – Decrease MSD incidents
NIOSH recommends that jobs be redesigned to minimize the use of vibrating hand tools and that powered hand tools be redesigned to minimize vibration
Provide ergonomic hand tools to employees
Ensure equipment guards are in place to protect hands from injury while in use
Ensure the gloves in use are correct for the tasks
Ensure a good fit (because a glove that doesn’t fit right won’t protect correctly and may even create new hazards)

Find and buy the gloves that fit the job
Look further on Google search, home center stores, hardware stores, online industrial supply stores

Lightweight products
Easy/quick set products that don’t require a lot of hand work to set up/smooth/etc.
Whenever possible use lightweight concrete block, pre-blended mortar and grout, skid plates to move concrete and bulk delivery systems like our SUPERCAP® SLU Delivery System

Vibrating hand tools can cause vibration syndrome and has adverse circulatory and neural effects in the fingers. NIOSH recommends that jobs be redesigned to minimize the use of vibrating hand tools and that powered hand tools be redesigned to minimize vibration. Learn more in Publication Number 83-110.
Review the "Simple Solutions Ergonomics for Construction Workers" tip sheets from NIOSH on: floor and ground-level work, overhead work, material handling, and hand-intensive work
Stressful hand and wrist activity can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Determine how you can find features that make tools more ergonomic in The Center for Construction Research and Training resource.