Whether you’re getting stuck into a DIY job or you work in a trade every day, chances are you don’t give too much of a second thought to the safety of your job. However, did you know that according to Health and Safety England, each year 441,000 people sustain an injury at work. Of those, 18% are caused by handling.
Although you cannot completely get eliminate the risk of injuries whilst handling objects, you can mitigate the risk. One of the ways you can do that is by protecting yourself with PPE such as some high-quality safety gloves.
What injuries could be avoided with the proper use of safety gloves?
Although you may think “how bad can hand injuries actually be”, injuries to your hands can be very dangerous, especially if you aren’t wearing the right protective equipment.
Some common injuries include:
- Lacerations – these are the most common type of hand injury. They are often sustained after making contact with a sharp object or tool.
- Fractures – these can occur if there is a force applied to the hands.
- Heat and chemical burns – these can occur if you work with hazardous substances or heat.
Although gloves are unlikely to protect your hands from fractures, proper usage of safety gloves will minimise your chances of sustaining lacerations or heat and chemical burns.
How to protect employees from hand injuries
One of the most important ways you can protect your employees from hand injuries is by providing proper training. By educating your employees or colleagues about the dangers of not wearing gloves, you can begin to change the culture.
By providing comprehensive training on what equipment can give rise to a hand injury and when to take preventative measures, you can begin to keep the team safe.
How to check your PPE is adequate
So, you’ve stressed the importance of PPE and educated employees on how to use it. But how do you check that your PPE is effective?
To make sure your PPE fits like a glove, you should start by looking at the size. The PPE you choose should not be too big or small and should feel comfortable against the skin. If it’s comfortable, then you’ll need to ask employees how they feel about the PPE.
Effective PPE does not get in the way of working and should not catch on machinery or slow employees down. If it does, the PPE you have may not be fit for purpose.
Concluding thoughts
PPE can get a bad rep for slowing down employees and getting in the way, but it’s a necessary evil if you want to reduce your risk of injury. However, by offering thorough training and investing in the best PPE and safety gloves on the market, you can help employees warm to the idea of ‘safety first’!
