How to find the right hand protection for the oil & gas industry
November 17, 2021
By Kyle Rogers, QSSP | National Account Safety Sales
By Kyle Rogers, QSSP | National Account Safety Sales
|
Every occupation requires tools to do the job. But did you realize most people always have two with them all the time? Yes, our hands are critically important to the roles we perform.
Some industries are more dangerous than others, and the oil and gas industry is one of them. According to the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), hand and finger injuries make up the majority of both recordable and lost time injuries, reporting 29.47% and 41.41% of all incidents in 2018, respectively. These are costly injuries, not only in the liability but in the loss of productivity. Types of injuries There are lots of ways to injury your hands in the oil & gas industry. According to the IADC’s 2018 report, the top incident types were struck by (29.13% of incidents), caught between (21.52%), and slip/fall: different level (14.44%). Injuries can include
Ways to mitigate injuries You and your staff may not be exposed to all the injuries listed above, but by starting with a proper risk assessment – required and defined in OSHA 1910.132 – you can determine the controls that need to be put into place to protect your team. A risk assessment allows you to identify immediate hazards, document risk factors, and establish baselines. Be sure to also consider Potentially Serious Injuries or Fatalities and how to mitigate these. Once you’ve established the risks, remove hazards where you can, and implement engineering controls to eliminate the need for hands-on work. Next, make sure you have ample training in place not only for proper use of machinery and tools but also in simulating injuries. According to OSHA, about 30 percent of hand injuries occurred because hand protection was inadequate, damaged, or worn incorrectly. Choosing hand protection While PPE should never be Plan A, it should always be available. In fact, OSHA requires PPE be provided whenever necessary by due to the hazards, processes, or environments you face. When choosing hand protection, first determine the correct hand protection classification based on the job function, job safety analysis, and company hand protection standards. Consider involving workers in the selection process. They know the job and the dangers firsthand. (No pun intended.) Then consider some of these factors. How long are the gloves being worn? How rough is the work?
Working with slick materials?
Are there impact dangers?
Are there cut dangers?
Are there a lot of quick moving parts or people working from heights?
Do you work in often wet conditions?
The takeaways Perhaps most importantly, choose comfort. You can offer the best protection, but if the gloves are uncomfortable or hinder the wearer’s ability to do the job, they won’t wear them. Make sure your gloves are durable but at the same time comfortable and don’t cause hand fatigue. To find the best hand protection option, use these steps.
Remember, everyone wants to return home the same way they went to work Vertical Divider
|
Like what you're seeing here? Subscribe to the Blue Print for FREE and get the magazine sent right to your address.
|
