According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand injuries account for 1,080,000 emergency department visits by workers per year in the United States. Hand injuries resulting from cuts and puncture cost the construction industry $382 million each year; this injury figure is second only to back strain and sprain injury, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
• The person is seriously injured.
• Injury includes amputation.
• Bone is protruding through skin.
• Bleeding cannot be stopped after several minutes of firm pressure.
• Blood spurts from the wound.
Hand wounds that have not been treated prior to six to eight hours after initial injury may not need sutures. Many health care professionals leave these wounds open since they are sutured (closed) they are more prone to infection.
You might think a broken finger is a minor injury, but without proper treatment it can cause major problems. The bones in a normal hand line up precisely, letting you perform many specialized functions like grasping a pen or manipulating small objects in your palm.
A proposed bill that would allow some teenagers to work in the logging industry is drawing opposition from safety advocates. House Bill 1215 was introduced to a congressional committee last month by Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho). The bill, called the “Future Logging Careers Act,” would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to be exempt from child labor laws if they work in logging or mechanized operations under parental supervision.
Appropriate personal protective equipment such as safety goggles and gloves must be worn to protect against hazards that may be encountered while using hand tools.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recognized several NIOSH researchers and partners for their significant contributions to the field of occupational safety and health over the past year.
The AFL-CIO will be among those organizations commemorating Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28th. The event, which honors those who have been killed or injured on the job, has given rise to a host of activities and observances across the U.S. and around the world.
An investigation by OSHA has determined that management of the Union Pacific Railroad added insult to injury when it blamed a worker in Roseville who was hurt on the job for his injury and then retaliated against him for reporting the injury in February 2011.
A new employee working on a machine that forged parts lost a fingertip in a November, 2014 accident that could have been prevented, according to OSHA, if his company had trained him properly to operate the upsetter machine and if the machine had proper safety mechanisms.