Page 46 - Occupational Health & Safety, February 2017

HAND PROTECTION
Hands-On Safety
Hand usage can affect cumulative trauma soft-tissue issues in the arms, neck, shoulders, and back.
BY CHARLIE BRAXTON AND RON BOWLES
Chances are that at some point in our lives, each of us will somehow hurt our hands. We might smash them, scratch them, scrape them, bash them, burn them, freeze
them, poke them, puncture or prick them, but it is almost certain they will be bruised, contused, and abused. Many of the injuries people sustain may be slight, often barely noticeable. But too frequently, the results to the hands could be worse, even catastrophic. If you include all the little things that happen to them, the hands may be the most common site of injuries that people suffer. No surprise here as the hands are the prime instrument for reaching out to the world to manipulate all manner of tools and devices. Here are some major reasons people hurt their hands—and, more important, what leaders can do to help prevent these all-too-common injuries:
1. Exposure
As mentioned, because people do practically al- most everything with their hands, they’re the body part most prone to repeated and prolonged exposures and use. Besides maneuvering doors, obstacles, tools,
and loads, they’re also the first line of automatic de- fense against anything approaching that might poten- tially harm the head or torso. For example, if you start to fall into a surface, isn’t the instinctive reaction to stick out one or both hands?
But this can lead to problems from even mundane events. For example, I prefer writing by hand when composing an article. But if I’m at it long enough, my hand can begin to get sore or even cramp. If I per- sist over a prolonged period of time, this repeated use could lead to developing several serious hand dysfunctions or disorders—just from something as simple as writing. Of course, many workers exert a lot more pressure with their hands than writing in their daily tasks, and over many years. Combining repetition with force has been shown to significantly intensify hand issues. On top of work, each of us also employs our hands at home and in favorite activities, as well; these rarely seem to rest.
Compounding this, I’ve seen many even using their hands as a tool (hammer, jack or pry bar, brace, even as knife or thermal sensor).
42 Occupational Health & Safety | FEBRUARY 2017
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