Protecting your hands and fingers is one of the most important things you can do every day on the job.

Think about this —

It doesn’t take much to injure them, so staying aware is critical, no matter what task you’re doing.

What if you’re working on a machine that jams up unexpectedly, exposing your hands to a sudden hazard? Or you’re handling a heavy piece of pipe and your grip suddenly slips, causing it to accidentally crush your fingers on the other hand?

When hand and finger injuries happen in mining, they’re often lacerations — cuts, punctures or tears. Sometimes they’re fractures.

Watch this new episode of “Think About This” from CORESafety TV to learn more about hand and finger safety: 

Click here to watch in Spanish.

Here’s the reality — most hand and finger injuries are preventable. Not with complicated procedures, but with these four important habits:

• Slow down on maintenance and repair. That’s where the risk spikes. Rushing a task with your hands near guards or moving parts is the setup for most serious hand injuries.
• Lock out and tag out before your hands go anywhere near equipment that is being serviced. Every time. No exceptions.
• Before you reach in, look. Know where the pinch points are on every piece of equipment you work with.
• Use the right glove for the job. Leather gloves are a starting point, not full protection. For pinch point work, bolting or anything near rotating equipment, you need a glove rated for that hazard. If you’re not sure what that is, then ask.

Awareness is the whole game here. You use your hands for everything you do on the job. Literally everything, in one way or another. Protect them like they matter, because they do.

And that’s how you stay CORESafety Safe. 

CORESafety

To learn more about CORESafety, visit our website by clicking here.