It’s week 2 of National Safety Month, and our HSE leadership is continuing to share important insights and tips to help us all live our safety culture inside and outside the workplace. Last week, we heard from Matrix Service VP, HSE & People Karen McDonald on safety in the home.​​

This week, Matrix NAC Director, HSE Tom Pechar is covering hand safety. We don’t often think about our hands, but they are our most valuable tool — nothing has ever been invented that can match them for usefulness and adaptability. Unfortunately, they are also very vulnerable to safety incidents. Hand injuries rank among the most frequent types of industrial accidents.

MONDAY: Hand positioning

The best and most effective means of primary hand protection is good hand positioning — “Know where your hands are!”

Questions to think about:

Don’t position your hands where they can be:

TUESDAY: Pinch points and sharp objects

You are exposed to a pinch point hazard any time your hand has the potential to get caught between two moving objects, or one stationary object and one moving object. ​

Puncture wounds and lacerations are typically the most common type of injury to the hands. Matrix lacerations and punctures this year include:

All of these injuries occurred during normal, every-day activities, and gloves were worn in all these incidents.

Protect yourself from puncture wounds and lacerations by:

WEDNESDAY: Hand burns

Thermal and chemical burns can be prevented if we recognize the risk and apply a combination of appropriate primary and secondary means of hand protection.  ​

Questions to think about:

Chemical burns:

Thermal burns:

Actions:

THURSDAY: Hand burns

Stored energy, also known as potential energy, is defined as energy stored by something because of its position (as when an object is raised and gravity can take over), because of its condition (as when something is pulled or pushed out of shape such as a spring), or in chemical form (such as an electrical charge in a battery). The release of this energy can result in injury.

Questions to think about:

We can protect our hands by:

FRIDAY: Use of Tools

Hand tools are non-powered. They include anything from hammers to wrenches to shovels. ​The greatest hazard posed by hand tools is from misuse and improper maintenance.

Questions to think about:

Power tools can be a serious hazard. They present more hazards than hand tools due to the speed at which they operate. The speed at which drills, saws, grinders, sanders, and routers operate can propel small particles much faster and further than hand tools and can twist or pull the hands and/or fingers into the danger zone. Use the safest tool types available for a task.

Ways to protect our hands:

Confirm that other people (and their hands) are not in harm’s way while using a power tool. ​pes of PPE and their use with common household/leisure activities:

Cut-resistant gloves can prevent or decrease the severity of injuries. However, they are not designed for protection from a moving saw blade or drill bit.  The best way to prevent injury from moving parts is to keep your hands on the tool’s handle(s) and keep all guards in place.

Read the tool owner’s manual to understand the tool’s proper applications, limitations, operation, and hazards.

Always maintain tool control by keeping a firm grip on a tool.

Maintain your balance and do not overreach.

Avoid excessive force to make cutting tools cut faster.

Only use tools that you have been trained to use.

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