Environmental Compliance 101

Taken from our newsletter files:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there more than 500,000 “serious” hand, finger and wrist injuries in private industry each year. These types of injuries can be categorized in several different ways: abrasions, lacerations, sprains, strains, skin irritations, fractures, thermal burns, chemical burns, contusions, avulsions or amputations. It is important from the recordkeeping perspective to understand how to classify hand and finger injuries. The following are definitions of many of the terms used to classify hand injuries:

• Abrasion – A scraped area on the skin or mucous membranes.
• Laceration – A cut. Most lacerations can be treated by washing and keeping the injury clean. Some may require stitches.
• Sprain -An injury to a ligament.
• Strain – An injury to a muscle or tendon.
• Dermatitis – An inflammation of the skin with many causes, such as sweat, chemicals or bacteria.
• Fractures – A broken bone. Examples include tuft, torsion, compression, compound and transverse depending on where and how the break occurs to the bone.
• Thermal burns – Burns to the skin caused by heat or electrical components.
• Chemical burns – Burns to the skin from chemicals, such as acids or caustic materials that cause a reaction that generates heat.
• Contusion – A bruise. Caused when blood vessels are damaged or broken from a impact to the skin.
• Avulsion – Tearing away, such as a ligament or tendon.
• Amputation – Removal of part or all of a body part that is enclosed by skin.

In 1994, in an effort to reduce the number of occurring injuries, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) revised its standard on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to include a new standard specifically for hand safety, CFR 1910.138. When researching the causes for hand injuries, OSHA found that nearly 70 percent of the injured individuals were not wearing gloves and the remaining personnel were wearing gloves that were damaged or not appropriate for the hazard. Therefore, as part of the Hand Safety rule, employers are required to perform PPE Hazard Assessments for specific jobs. These assessments are made up of a list of questions that the safety professional and employee can ask when determining the proper type of glove for the task.  A few examples of tasks and potential injuries to your hands, wrists and fingers include:

• Cooking - thermal burn
• Welding – thermal burn                          
• Working with glass – thermal burn or laceration
• Using computers – strain or sprain
• Using knives – laceration
• Dental and health care services – biological exposure, laceration, strain or sprain
• Material handling – laceration, strain or sprain, amputation
• Sanding – abrasion, avulsion, laceration
• Grinding – abrasion, laceration, fracture, amputation
• Sawing – laceration, avulsion, amputation, strain or sprain
• Hammering – fracture, strain or sprain      

From these jobs or tasks, determine any potential work-related exposure to the following:

• Blood
• Irritating chemicals
• Tools or materials that could scrape, bruise or cut
• Extreme heat/cold

Lastly, determine the type of glove/sleeves to be used based on the assessment of the job.

• Chemical resistance
• Liquid/leak resistance
• Temperature resistance
• Abrasion/cut resistance
• Slip resistance

Choosing the right gloves for the job or task should help protect against many of the hazards listed above. However, another important aspect is the training provided to each employee.  Formal instruction should be given to every employee so is each aware of the correct glove to choose for the task and the way to wear the proper glove consistently. It also is imperative for the employee to know when it is time to change the glove due to damage or degradation. Wearing a damaged glove can give an employee a false sense of security which can result in unpredictable injuries. Some basic elements of glove care include:

• Inspect gloves prior to use (Look for tears, punctures and extreme wear)
• Store gloves in a clean place such as a locker or inside a bag
• If gloves become saturated with chemicals, discard them appropriately (i.e., hazardous waste)
• Do not try to stretch out the use of gloves causing excessive wear
• Replace gloves when they become damaged
• This information can be provided in PPE training for employees