Wearing the appropriate safety gloves has been proven by some studies to reduce the risk of sustaining hand injuries by as much as 60 percent.

Continuing from An Overview of Work-Related Hand Injuries (Part 1)¸ the following provides some additional information regarding hand injuries that occur in the workplace. While Part 1 of this blog discussed some statistics related to on-the-job hand injuries, as well as some common types of hand injuries that workers can sustain, here in Part 2, we will focus on discussing some of the most common cause of hand injuries, as well as some ways to prevent them.

Causes of Hand Injuries

Although hand injuries can be caused by a variety of factors (including human error), some of the most common causes of hand injuries include:

• Exposure to chemicals, toxins and/or hazardous materials
• Exposure to bodily fluids
• Failure to wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) – particularly when it comes to wearing the right safety gloves for a particular job or task

Preventing Hand Injuries

When it comes to preventing hand injuries in the workplace, the old adage – An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – rings particularly true. In fact, wearing the appropriate safety gloves has been proven by some studies to reduce the risk of sustaining a hand injury by as much as 60 percent. It’s important to note that:

• Safety gloves appropriate for one task may not provide adequate safety or protection for another.
• Employers concerned about reducing the incidence of hand injuries (and workplace injuries, in general) should educate their employees regarding the best safety glove to use for a particular task.
• Employees need to be diligent about using safety gloves in order to protect themselves.

Colorado Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

If you have sustained a workplace injury and are considering (or in the process of) filing a workers’ compensation claim, you cannot rely upon your employer or insurance companies to look out for your best interests. In fact, both your employer and insurance companies will be more focused on their own bottom lines instead of your current and future wellbeing. This can make the system adversarial for injured workers and potentially even put them in situations in which their legitimate workers’ compensation claims are undercut or even flat-out denied.

In such cases, it’s essential that injured workers contact the Colorado workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick. Our legal professionals are experienced at going up against corporate lawyers and insurance companies, and we have a proven track record of success when it comes to securing our Clients the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and financial losses. For a thorough evaluation of your case, along with expert advice on the best manner in which to move forward, call us at (303) 447-2644.