GETTING HAND PROTECTION RIGHT FOR SAFE WORKPLACES

摘要

Around the world,it is common to see the wrong gloves in the wrong working environment,such as basic nylon gloves when cut-protection gloves should be worn.Often this results from a company cutting cost at the expense of workers,or workers not being properly educated by the safety managers,and because gloves are frequently not seen as the most important protective wear compared to,say,hard hats and shoes.This is clearly a misguided approach since according to the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics nearly 20 per cent of workplace injuries involve cuts and lacerations to the hand and fingers.Hand injuries occur frequently and can be most severe-in terms of lost working days they are considered only less important than back strains and sprains.A National Safety Council study in the U.S.reports that the cost of just one disabling hand or finger injury ranges from $540 to $26,000 per patient,while cost of serious upward extremity trauma can average at $730,000 per patient.