Preventing Hand Injuries in the Manufacturing Sector

Roughly 20%  of all work-related injuries affect the hands of workers, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Even in this age of automation, some jobs require manual efforts and skills and are best done only by experienced hands. Most workers in the manufacturing industry depend mainly on their hands. Unfortunately, roughly 20%  of all work-related injuries affect the hands of workers, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Responding to the urgent need for reducing workplace accidents causing hand injuries, the regulators and decision makers in the US manufacturing industry recently demanded improved training facilities and better safety measures in the workplace. If the number of hand injuries can be reduced, it would create a win-win situation for both employers and workers.

Common Reasons for Hand Injuries

Worker’s compensations lawyers know that a number of factors may cause hand injuries at the workplace. However, some factors are more commonly responsible for such injuries than the others are. For instance, hand injuries are often caused by improper use of hand tools, not wearing gloves, inattention while handling sharp objects, and not following safety rules and guidelines.

Employers need to make sure that they provide all the required tools and training to help reduce hand injuries in the workplace. There are many instances where untrained workers have suffered severe hand injuries and even lost their hands due to small or careless mistakes that could have been avoided.

What the Statistics Say

The rate of occurrence of hand injuries in the workplace is quite alarming. Every year roughly around one million people fall prey to occupational hand injuries that force them to seek emergency medical help, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Moreover, nearly 110,000 hand injuries requiring time away from work are reported every year. At present, worker’s compensation claims for finger injuries or hand injuries average over $7000, including some claims worth more than $10,000 or even $100,000.

Steps to Reduce the Risks

Both employers and employees can take a number of steps to reduce the risk of hand injuries at the workplace. Firstly, workers should make sure that they use safety gear to project their hands and fingers against any hazards. According to a recent study conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute, if used regularly, safety gloves can help lower the rate of work-related hand injuries by around 60%. It is therefore important for the workers to use safety equipment, including, hand gloves, safety locks, and guards and shields.

Workers should also follow some basic safety rules, such as:

• Be alert and attentive while working
• Try to anticipate any hazards
• Attend training sessions
• Take all possible precautions at the workplace

On the other hand, employers need to get the machines regularly checked by professionals, and organize training sessions for their employees frequently.