Nail Guns Cause Thousands of Injuries Every Year

Nail guns that are used in construction activities are handy tools that are fairly easy to operate. However these devices result in nearly 37,000 U.S. hospital emergency room visits each year, officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration say. According to a UPI news report, one study found that two in five U.S. residential carpenter apprentices suffered a nail gun injury over a four-year period. Government officials also say that nail gun injuries hospitalize more construction workers than any other tool-related injury. They also see that these injuries are underreported and often do not receive adequate medical attention.
It is important to note that people using nail guns are not the only ones at risk. Bystanders, often co-workers, represent almost 12 percent of all who are injured by nail guns. Studies also show that use of nail guns equipped with sequential triggers can reduce injuries by half.
How to Avoid Nail Gun Injuries
There are several ways in which employers and workers who use nail guns on a daily basis can prevent injuries:
• Use sequential nail guns that reduce the risk of unintentional nail discharge and double fires.
• Provide training to workers. OSHA requires employers to provide nail gun safety training for new users.
• Establish nail gun work procedures to address risk factors and make the work as safe as possible.
• Workers must have personal protective equipment such as safety shields, hard hats as well as eye and hearing protection.
• Encourage reporting and discussion of injuries and near misses. This will help ensure that employees get medical attention and are aware of the dangers posed by nail guns.
• Provide first aid and medical treatment. Even if the injuries appear to be minor, anyone who has been injured by a nail gun should seek prompt medical attention.
Compensation for Injured Workers
When a worker has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, he or she can file a claim seeking compensation for damages. If a defective or malfunctioning nail gun caused a nail gun injury, the manufacturer of the product can also be held liable. If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: UPI