Proper Hand Placement

"How would your life be affected if you lost a finger"?

By Jim McCraney – Region 6 Field Representative

Trying to use any tool effectively would be an obstacle. What if you lost a hand or both hands? I know a close friend who lost a hand while operating a gangsaw. He was a very skilled man and, for the most part, very safe working around machinery. But while trying to remove a piece of wood debris from the in-feed side of a gang saw. His hand got caught on the wood debris and was pulled into the blades. If only he had turned off the power (machinery lockout) before trying to remove the piece of wood, he would still have his hand today.

Accidents do not just happen; they are caused by not paying attention and not thinking of what can go wrong before it goes wrong. I am sure you can think of instances in your own life where you or somebody you know was injured for these simple reasons. You may think that losing a hand, finger, or thumb would never happen to you. But how many times a day do you do something that could result in an accident for yourself or those around you? Someone somewhere suffers an injury every minute, every hour, every day, every week.

The sawmill, logging, and other wood manufacturing industries are especially prone to hand injuries. There are rough materials to handle, objects to be stacked, tools to be utilized, and equipment to be operated. All pose potential risks of a hand injury. To come up with a list of how to protect your hands in each & and every situation would be impossible. The list would never end. Advancement in machinery/equipment technology without proper training provides additional opportunities for employees to injure their hands.

People usually approach the task "at hand" in one of two ways: they either don't think of safety procedures before starting a task, or they think that they "won't or "can't" hurt themselves. Do the smart thing; before you begin a project, pick up a tool, start a piece of equipment/machinery, and think about an accident that CAN and WILL happen unless you think it through.

Try applying the following "WHAT IF" criteria before you begin your next workplace task:

What if...the knife slips while I strip this wire?

- will I cut myself?

What if...the screwdriver slips off this screw?

- will I puncture my hand?

What if...I take off the guard before locking out machinery?

- could I lose a finger/hand?

What if...I wear cotton gloves instead of leather?

- could my hands get grabbed more easily.

What if...I don't wait for internal machine parts to coast down?

- could I lose both hands?

What if…I get complacent while working around machinery?

- could I lose my hand or fingers?

What if…I let a workplace distraction take my mind off the job?

- could I lose my life?

All of these examples have occurred and resulted in lacerations, amputations, and death.

Keep your mind on safety --- protect your hands and fingers. Think the job through before starting. Doing the job a thousand times encourages compliance and puts you at risk of injury. Make yourself and others knowledgeable of equipment, machinery, and tools that create potential hand hazards. Be the person that encourages safety, looks for workplace hazards, and makes sure they are corrected. You came to work with two hands ready to get the job done – protect them throughout the day and return them home safely.

Hands depend on you.