COULD YOU IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT YOUR HANDS OR YOUR FINGERS?
Our hands have many qualities : strength, flexibility, sensitivity, coordination. When it comes to earning our living, our hands are often the most important tool we have. With healthy hands we also do many routine things such as buttoning a shirt, picking up a fork, holding a pencil, turning on the radio, sending out a text message, holding our children by the hand.
Just think how life would be without your hands or fingers.
Hand and finger injuries are the most common type of injuries in Sapa.
What are the common types of hand injuries
- Fractures and Lacerations, when hands are caught between unguarded equipment (rolls, stretcher jaws, drill bits)
- Burns from hot or cold material, steam, chemicals, when not wearing the right gloves or not wearing them at all
- Cuts when using knives (cutting cardboard); or when not using the correct tool, e.g. knife instead of shears; or from sharp edges
- Contusion and/or Fractures when handling heavy objects, e.g. dies, anodized profiles; or when trying to catch a falling object
Wear Gloves to Protect Your Hands
- Use the right glove type for the task you are performing, ensure the glove provides the right protection, e.g. protection against mechanical, chemical injuries, and against heat or cold.
- Gloves must NOT be worn when using rotating equipment
Be Aware of Pinchpoints
Use the Right Technique
Correct Tool for the Task and Use the Tool Correctly
- If tools are not working, or damaged, these must be repair or replaced
- When using knives, ensure knives are self-retractible and direct the cut away from yourself and from any bystander.
It is YOUR Safe Attitude that Counts!
Many accidents causing hand and finger injuries happen during a moment of distraction.
YOU can prevent all injuries with YOUR safe attitude :
- STOP and THINK – take time before you perform any job to think about what might happen if you placed your hands where you were going to.
- Follow the safe work practices developed for the jobs you perform.
- Do not remove machine guards, inspect guards periodically and repair/or report when broken
- Be careful with chemicals.
- Do not touch any metal if you do not know its temperature.
- Watch out for loose clothing around moving equipment.
- Remove jewellery, especially rings.
- Use rags and brushes for cleaning, not your fingers or hands.
- Do not try to grab falling objects.
- Keep your hands clean to prevent infection.
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