Hand injury prevention

TABK – HSE January 2007

Keep in mind all that you can do with your hands

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Hand injuries can be very bad

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Hands : most exposed part of human body

Other Eye Back

4% 7% Feet
7%
7% Arm
Leg 19%
15%

Head
15%

45%
Hand
26%
From TOTAL
injuries records

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 Part 1:
Daily work, risk of hand injuries

TABK – HSE January 2007

Daily work – Potential for hand injuries

Hand injuries often happen during one of the

following activities:

• Handling and lifting activities

• Drilling and Marine activities
• Construction & maintenance activities
• Electrical work
• Using Hand tools
• Working with rotating machinery
• Handling of chemical products
• Working on hot engine, frozen pipe
• Working in the kitchen
• etc etc.
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Handling may damage your hands

Risk of getting squeezed fingers

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Improper use of Hand tools may damage your hands

Risk of getting cut or crushed fingers

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Improper use of Hand tools may damage your hands

Risk of getting cut fingers

Is it really safer ???

Why putting your hands at risk when you could better use available
equipment (e.g. the bench vice)
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Rotating machinery may damage your hands

Risk of getting gloves

(and hands…) caught in
rotating machinery
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Chemicals can be aggressive to your hands

Risk of getting hands

severely burnt

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Your hands are at risk when working without proper PPE

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Steel cuttings, nails etc can damage your hands

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Remember : You can prevent hand accidents

Most accidents can be avoided with

simple common sense precautions:
 Wear your Personal Protective Equipment.

 Be professional: you have been trained to work

safely, just do it

 Use your common sense

 Look carefully at your work environment prior to

starting the job

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Wear the proper gloves

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Use the appropriate equipment, don’t take any chance !!

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Use your common sense

What about that ???

Is it really safe ???

Sounds better, isn’t it !

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 Part 2:
Why accidents happen …

TABK – HSE January 2007

Let us examine a classical situation

Occupational hazard (energy)

After using an electric meat cutter, the operator started

to clean this machine without turning it off. His right
hand got caught in the rotary cutter, resulting in an
accident

Unsafe act

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 Definition

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD :
Source of potential harm or damage, associated with ENERGIES

Damage may be incurred if the energy is released without due

control (e.g. dropped object, gas leak, car crash, electrical power
etc)
ANOMALIE (UNSAFE ACT or CONDITION):
Factor which may contribute to an accident

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 What is necessary for an accident to happen?

Occupational
Hazard

Accident
+
Unsafe act

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Occupational
hazards and
hands injuries

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Examples of E&P occupational hazards

Many activities are hazardous for hands, because they

involve significant ENERGIES
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Examples of occupational hazards

Lifting heavy equipment involves several types of

hazards
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Examples of occupational hazards

Handling heavy tubular (swinging hazard)

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Examples of occupational hazards

Working on sheaves and pulleys

(risk of finger squeezing)

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Examples of occupational hazards

Keep hands far from the rotating machinery

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Unsafe acts

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Typical unsafe act

Wrong hand position

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Typical unsafe act

Wrong hand position

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Typical unsafe act

Wrong hand position

while lifting heavy equipment

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Typical unsafe act

Wrong hand position

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Typical unsafe act

Wrong hand position, lack of tag line

(risk to get fingers pinched between spools)

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Typical unsafe act

Do not expose your hands to a hazardous

proximity, even if your are an expert

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Typical unsafe act due to lack of attention

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Typical unsafe condition due to carelessness

Even nails may provoke serious injuries and

diseases

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 Typical unsafe situation : What’s wrong ??
Wrench still in position
(unsafe condition)
Power still on
(Energy)

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Your safety depends on YOU

Identify potentially hazardous situations and

analyse them before starting job

• Clearly identify hazards and energies that are

under your direct control and those that are not
under your direct control

• Beware of rotating machinery, accessible

mechanism, chemicals, handling operations etc

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Your safety depends on YOU

ACT SAFELY

 Place your hand in the proper position. If you don’t know

how, ask to be trained

 Wear adequate PPE, report any difficulty in using them

 Take your time, think first before action

 Stop an operation if you believe it is too dangerous

 Do not take any chance with your hands

 An injury can be healed, a disability cannot !

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Safety also depends on YOU

KEEP IN MIND

Hazard (energy)
+ Accident
Unsafe Act

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Remember
• Risk assessment takes only 5 minutes
• Injuring your hand can cause permanent damage
• No job is worth a hand

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