Roofing Law
Tips for Nail Gun Safety Part 3
Proper nail gun handling is a critical part of maintaining a safe jobsite, as these small but powerful tools cause an estimated 37,000 emergency room visits each year.
In Part 1 of this four-part article, we covered a variety of nail gun injury statistics. In Part 2, we dissected how most nail gun injuries happen. In Part 3 and Part 4 of this article, we will discuss how to proactively prevent nail gun injuries and protect your workers. When you promote and enforce jobsite safety, you can prevent injury, loss of life, and the need for a roofing lawyer in Georgia.
Use a Nail Gun With a Full Sequential Trigger
This is the safest type of nail gun trigger and consequently the type of nail gun recommended by OSHA.
At minimum, provide full sequential trigger nail guns for certain people and jobs. For example, new workers should always work with full sequential trigger nail guns. Make sure any workers who need to hold lumber in place by hand are using full sequential trigger guns as well. Color code your different nail guns by their type of trigger to ensure that the right tool always ends up in the right hands.
Remember that there aren’t as many advantages to a contact trigger as some people think. One study showed that, while nailing time was ten percent faster, it only affected total building time by one percent. An injury could easily negate that time advantage and put your company at a disadvantage for myriad other reasons.
Provide Education
Just as important as the nail gun itself (or perhaps even more important) is knowing how to use it safely. No matter how experienced your workers are, it is important to set aside time for ongoing training in your company.
When it comes to nail gun education, make sure to cover:
- The dynamics of the nail gun
- How the different types of triggers differ
- What color corresponds to which type of nail gun, if you have more than one kind and have color coded them
- The main types of risks/injuries associated with nail guns
- How to load the nail gun
- How to hold lumber when nailing into it
- How to handle awkward angles and positions
- How to identify ricochet-prone surfaces
- What to do if the nail gun malfunctions
These are just a few of the items that should be part of your training session. What you include will likely vary depending on the type of nail gun and the specific roles of the workers attending the training.
If you would like to speak with a roofing attorney in Georgia, please contact us today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.