Hand Safety
Facility and Occupational Safety
Protecting Your Most Important Tools: Your Hands
Hand injuries are among the most common workplace incidents. While many are minor, such as cuts and scrapes, others can be far more serious, including burns or even amputations. Taking time to understand hand safety and adopting safe work practices can significantly reduce your risk and help keep you injury-free.
Our hands are constantly at work, gripping tools, moving materials, typing and more. Because they’re used so frequently, they’re also especially vulnerable. Protecting them begins with using appropriate equipment and following established safety procedures.
Primary Hand Protection
One of the most effective ways to prevent injury is through proper hand positioning. Keep your hands out of situations where they could be:
- Cut or punctured by sharp objects
- Burned by hot surfaces or chemicals
- Pinched between tools, materials or equipment
- Struck by objects or exposed to stored energy
Start by identifying potential hazards, then adjust your work practices to keep your hands out of the “danger zone.”
Ultimately, your most important safety tool is awareness. Staying alert and mindful of where your hands are, and where they could end up, goes a long way in preventing injuries and keeping you safe on the job.
Contact
Environmental Health and Safety
facoccsafety@groups.purdue.edu
765-494-6371