TriCore Safety toolbox talk · tricoresafety.com/toolbox-talks
Pinch points and crush hazards
Pinch points are everywhere. Between materials, under suspended loads, around equipment, and during simple jobs like hooking up a trailer or stacking pallets. A lot of hand injuries start when someone reaches in to steady something that's shifting, or tries to "just move it a little."
Keep your hands out from between anything you can't fully control. Use a tool or push stick to guide material. Talk to the operator before anything moves. And don't assume a load is stable because it looks still.
Picking the right glove
The wrong glove can be almost as bad as no glove. Match the glove to the task: cut-resistant for sharp edges, impact-rated for heavy material, chemical-resistant for liquids, insulated for hot or cold work.
Fit matters too. Too loose and it catches on edges. Too tight and you lose your grip. Some jobs shouldn't be done in gloves at all, like work near rotating equipment or drill bits, where fabric can get pulled in.
Hand tools and guards
Hand tools are simple, and they still cause some of the most preventable injuries on a job. Cuts, slips and busted knuckles usually come from the wrong tool, the wrong technique or a damaged tool. Check it before you start: no cracked handles, dull blades, missing guards or loose parts.
Keep a solid grip and cut away from your body. If the task needs two hands, set the tool down first. Don't rush it and don't improvise.
Line of fire
Most serious hand injuries happen because a hand was right where the hazard ended up. Before you move a load, tighten a strap, guide a pipe or run equipment, stop and look at where your hands will be if something slips, shifts or fails.
Stay out of pinch zones, keep your fingers out from under loads, and don't count on having time to pull back if something moves.