[Whitepaper] Tips for Avoiding Hand Injuries in Heavy-Duty Industrial Environments

Hand and finger injuries are among the most common incidents workers will endure. They account for 51% of injuries in the workplace. That means there is a lot of room to improve safety programs.

There are many risks in the industrial workspace and especially in heavy-duty working environments. For health and safety managers, new and revised guidelines for hand safety help make personal protective equipment more reliable, but understanding these ever-changing regulations remains a complex challenge.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to hazards like handling oily substances, impacts from heavy metal parts, low-visibility conditions, and unintended material contact; however, this guide helps outline crucial information and useful strategies to meet each unique challenge.

The hazards workers face

OIL AND GAS WORKERS

Hazardous environments come with the risk of experiencing cut, pinch and impact injuries

when handling oily, wet and sharp objects. This puts hands and fingers especially at risk for oil

and gas companies.

According to 2014 IADC statistics, hand and finger injuries comprised 43 percent of all recordable

incidents on drilling rigs, a slight increase over 2013 (41 percent) and 2012 (40 percent).

From finger-pinches to cuts, abrasions or impacts, the cost of even a single hand injury can run into thousands of dollars.

Impact injuries

Hand and finger injuries are among the most common incidents workers will endure. They account for 51% of injuries in the workplace.

The real cost of workplace injuries

With so many different types of hazards to prepare for, a good strategy is to be ready for the most

common one. Providing the appropriate hand protection when the job begins will keep workers safer and enhance productivity in the long run.

According to a 2016 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hand injuries remain on the rise, and 70% of U.S. workers who injured their hands were not wearing gloves. In Australia, up to 30% of injuries in the manufacturing sector between 2012 and 2015 were hand related. While in Gulf countries, 71% of workers in Dubai say they have no way to even report occupational injuries.6 When viewed collectively, these injuries took a hefty toll in the form of lost wages and lost productivity, in some cases ending workers’ careers.

The financial implications don’t provide a complete picture of the price tag attached to each injury. But coming into contact with materials, equipment and other objects resulted in over 100 million days lost to work-related injuries in the U.S. during 2016. 30 million of those lost days were the result of injuries from previous years. Meanwhile, 55 million additional days are projected to be lost in future years due to 2016 injuries.

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