LS : Why Gloves Hand in Hand with Safety ?

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Topic:- Personal Protective Equipment

Gloves-Hand in Hand with Safety

Our hands are used in virtually all facets of everyday life. Several hand and finger injuries occur throughout year in the workplace. As a safe worker you should assess your job and do what it takes to protect your body and your hands.

We use our hands more than any other body part at manufacturing, maintainance, construction work. That’s why hand injuries are so common—more than a half million per year! Hand injuries are preventable when we recognize hand hazards.

Imagine what it would be like to lose the use of one or both of your hands because of an injury? 

Human hands and wrists have 27 muscles and 27 bones that allow us the flexibility and strength to be able to perform tasks. Even a minor hand or finger injury will remind us how important it is to have the full use of our hands.

Plan activities to eliminate hand hazards by discussing the placement, removal and protection of hands.

Wearing gloves reduces the relative risk of injury by 60%.

Wearing the proper gloves for the job can help to prevent the following injuries:

• Cuts and scrapes
• Puncture wounds
• Chemical burns
• Extreme heat or cold
• Hazardous substances
• Biological agents
• Electrical shocks and burns

Even activities like taking measurements with a tape measure have potential risks involved. An employee recently cut their finger from a retracting tape measure blade. Although the cut was not serious, it could have been prevented if a glove policy had been in place and followed.

Several companies have prepared guideline like glove policy for their workforce /employees work in their firm.

Example” in the field of safety by implementing a glove policy that will be fulfill safety requirements and provide flexibility and safety for persons.

A good and safe plan will ALWAYS include a safety evaluation of the activity, a determination of the proper PPE for that activity, and follow through with a safe plan of action and PPE use.

Hand safety - Manufacturing

 
Hazards:

• Do not wear rings, loose jewelry or bracelets that could catch on moving or stationary machinery.
• Be conscious of where your hands are at all times. Be cautious when placing your hands or arms near spinning or fast moving parts.
• Do not remove shields, guards or safety devices on industrial equipment. Do not use equipment that has had any safety device removed.
• Be cautious when wearing gloves or loose clothing around equipment with moving parts.
• Do not rely on interlocks to clear equipment jams.

Safe procedures:

• Wear chemical resistant or rubber gloves while working with substances that may cause skin irritation, such as chemical burns.
• Wear cut resistant metal mesh or Kevlar gloves when working with glass, sheet metal or any material that has the potential to cut and tear.
• Wear welders’ gloves or aluminized heat resistant gloves when working with hot materials.
• Do not wear gloves while operating power tools or machinery where a risk of entanglement may occur.
•  Make sure all gloves are properly sized for individual workers. Gloves that are too large will slide around on the hands, won’t provide protection where it is needed, and could become caught in machinery or moving parts. Gloves that are too snug can decrease a worker’s dexterity and may become so uncomfortable that workers will remove them.
• Use tools that are designed to keep your wrists straight to help avoid repetitive motion injuries such as Carpal Tunnel or Tendonitis.
• Store tools so that the cutting edges are protected.

Hand Safety - Construction

Hazards:

• Missing guards on equipment.
• Pinch points.
• Use of a tool instead of the hand (such as a shovel).
• Proper PPE use. Are you using the right gloves for the job?

Safe Procedure:

• Make sure hand placement is safe. Can the tool hit body parts from use? Think through entire usage. What can go wrong?
• Be proactive. Think about the hazards before doing the job. In case tool bounces or fails, where is your hand? Nail gun use.
• Recognize that hand protection is based on the hazard. Concrete presents different needs than sharp edges.
• Use the right kind of gloves. Check the SDS for information on types of gloves to be worn. PPE must not present a greater hazard such as around moving parts, belts, shafts.
• Report all breaks in the skin for first-aid and follow-up. Minor issues can become major if not handled promptly.

Let's ask Ourselves:

• What hand hazards do we have on our site?
• What close calls with hand injuries have we had?
• Do we have the type of gloves we need onsite and ready for use?
• What can we do to improve hand hazards on this job?

Always aware of your surroundings and evaluate situations before work. 
Always be aware of pinch points and  Use push devices when necessary. 
Wear gloves when necessary, and always lock out equipment before cleaning.
 

Your hands make a living for you, take good care of them.

What wins, metal or flesh? Think before you act!