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NOTES
Todays hand and
power tools deliver performance, convenience, durability and
advanced technology, but they also create higher risks for
hand injuries on the job or in the workshop.
Each year,
more than 115,000 Americans end up in the emergency room as
a result of hand-tool-related injuries, according to the
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Some 30,000
persons are injured annually using hammers
Hand tools are
involved in 6 percent of all compensated work injuries and
14 percent of all non-compensated work injuries
The average
cost to a company of each hand injury is $10,000
The causes of
hand tool injuries are typically traced to improper use or
maintenance of the hand tool. The most common causes stem
from improper use, lack of protective gloves or not using
the appropriate accessories for the tool. Typical injuries
include puncture wounds, severed fingers, broken bones and
contusions.
The tools today
are designed to deliver more performance than ever before,
said Eric Jaeger, a Biomedical engineer who spends hundreds
of hours annually studying hand physiology, performance and
protection as lead scientist for Ironclad Performance Wear.
The trend is toward professional grade tools, which are
heavier, more powerful and require more skill to operate.
And whether these tools are used by professionals on the job
site or by DIYers in the workshop, the risk of injury is
higher.
Safety experts
from the National Safety Council to the Consumer Product
Safety Council to OSHA all recommend wearing gloves to
protect hands on the job. Some companies already are seeing
the benefits of task-specific, high-performance gloves. One
company that instituted an Ironclad glove program for its
employees decreased overall injuries by 50 percent in the
first year and virtually eliminated hand injuries.
But all gloves
arent right for all jobs, and they can even be a safety
hazard when ill-fitting or loose gloves are used around
power tools and machinery.
Jaeger
recommends a task-specific engineered glove for true
protection when using hand and power tools. You need a
breathable fabric that allows moisture to escape and reduces
slippage inside the glove, he notes. You also need padding
in key areas specific to the tools you are using or the
job you are doing and gripping surfaces that correspond.
Basically, you need to reduce friction, dampen vibration,
eliminate slippage and improve control of the tools to
decrease injuries. Only a glove designed with the biometrics
of the hand in mind and built with advanced fabrics can
accomplish all of these.
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