Hand injury Prevention

March 2017

Supplying hand protection to your employees can be an expensive task, however it is necessary to reduce hand incidents on-site. Hand incidents are one of the construction industries most commonly reported accidents but can be resolved by investing in a reliable pair of gloves for each employee.

The Risks
The risks of hand injury on-site vary in size and visibility. Some are easily spotted, such as large machinery, and others such as the slip of a knife when cutting open a package can be down to experience. An older worker who has more experience in the industry may recognize a potential risk sooner than an apprentice or new labourer. Risk of hand injury may also be because of lack of enforcement and evaluation on-site by managers and supervisors. It is crucial that people in authority are taking the necessary steps to ensure that all employees have the correct PPE. Lack of continual evaluation of workplace practices and substandard gloves or PPE can increase risk because of bad habits that may put the worker at risk of an incident.

How can we reduce this?
We can reduce the risk of hand injury by increasing the education of risks and best practices on-site through the use of weekly toolbox talks to encourage and confirm that all employees are using the correct equipment. Coaching or mentoring by experienced workers for new labourers can also help greatly decrease the risk of injury because of lack of experience. It is important that supervisors and managers are continually completing routine evaluations of employee PPE and safety inspectors are correctly reporting on all risks or potential risks.

The Solution
TraffiGlove makes this easy. By investing in longer usability and higher cut resistant gloves, you can decrease the risk on your worksite by a substantial amount. Hand accidents are extremely common in the workplace and account for up to 40% of all injuries, which is why these safety gloves should be your first choice when it comes to hand protection; they even have the potential to save employers money through the prevention of injury. The gloves also come with training, literature and ongoing support for customers.
The colour coded gloves help you see at a glance – and from a distance – if your employees or colleagues are suitably protected. If you see someone wearing RED gloves while sweeping up broken glass, for example, you can immediately alert them to the risk and insist that GREEN gloves are worn.

Click here to see our full range of Hand Protection