Toolbox Talk: Hand Safety

Key points

1. Watch for pinch points. Keep hands clear of closing doors, moving loads, rollers and anything that can close on your fingers.
2. Use the right glove. Cut-resistant gloves for sharp edges, chemical gloves for chemicals, and leather or impact gloves for rough work. One glove does not fit every job.
3. No gloves near rotating parts. Gloves can be caught by drills, lathes and other rotating equipment and pull your hand in. Follow the rules for each machine.
4. Use tools, not fingers. Use push sticks, magnets or tongs to reach into tight spots, and never put your hand where you cannot see it.
5. Cut away from yourself. Use a sharp, safety or retractable knife, and keep your other hand out of the cutting path.

Ask the crew

• Where are the worst pinch points on our equipment?
• Do our gloves fit the job and fit your hands?
• When have you put your hand somewhere you could not see?

Picture this

A worker guides a steel plate into place by hand as a hoist lowers it. The plate swings and pins his fingers against a beam. Using a tag line would have kept his hand out of the pinch point.