Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/465691
24 • MARCH 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Work safer when using nail guns – part 1 COURTESY OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Nail guns are used every day on many construction jobs – especial- ly in residential construction. They boost productivity but also cause tens of thousands of painful injuries each year. Nail gun injuries are com- mon – one study found that 2 out of 5 residential carpenter apprentices experienced a nail gun injury over a four-year period. When they do occur, these injuries are often not reported or given any medical treatment. The following are some tips that can make using nail guns safer. • Research has identified the risk factors that make nail gun injuries more likely to occur. The type of trig- ger system and the extent of training are important factors. The risk of a nail gun injury is twice as high when using a multi-shot contact trigger as when using a single-shot sequential trigger nailer. The full sequential trigger is al- ways the safest trigger mechanism for the job. It reduces the risk of uninten- tional nail discharge and double fires – including injuries from bumping into co-workers. At a minimum, provide full se- quential trigger nailers for placement work where the lumber needs to be held in place by hand. Unintended nail discharge is more likely to lead to a hand or arm injury for placement work compared to flat work, where the lumber does not need to be held in place by hand. Consider restricting inexperi- enced employees to full sequential trigger nail guns starting out. Some contractors using more than one type of trigger on their jobs color-code the nail guns so that the type of trigger can be readily identified by workers and supervisors. • Provide training. Both new and experienced workers can benefit from safety training to learn about the caus- es of nail gun injuries and specific steps to reduce them. Be sure that training is provided in a manner that employees can un- derstand. Here is a list of topics for training: • How nail guns work and how triggers differ. • Main causes of injuries – espe- cially differences among types of trig- gers. • Instructions provided in manu- facturer tool manuals and where the manual is kept. • Hands-on training with the ac- tual nailers to be used on the job. This gives each employee an opportunity to handle the nailer and to get feedback on topics such as: – How to load the nail gun. – How to operate the air compres- sor. – How to fire the nail gun. – How to hold lumber during placement work. – How to recognize and approach ricochet-prone work surfaces. – How to handle awkward posi- tion work (e.g., toe-nailing and work on ladders). – How best to handle special risks associated with contact and single ac- tuation triggers such as nail gun recoil and double fires. For example, coach new employ- ees on how to minimize double fires by allowing the nail gun to recoil rath- er than continuing to push against the gun after it fires. – What to do when a nail gun malfunctions. • Establish nail gun work proce- dures. Contractors should develop their own nail gun work rules and proce- dures to address risk factors and make the work as safe as possible. Examples of topics: – Make sure that tool manuals for the nailers used on the job are always available on the jobsite. – Make sure that manufacturers' tool labels and instructions are under- stood and followed. – Check tools and power sourc- es before operating to make sure that they are in proper working order. Take broken or malfunctioning nail guns out of service immediately. – Set up operations so that work- ers are not in the line of fire from nail guns being operated by co-workers. – Check lumber surfaces before nailing. Look for knots, nails, straps, hangers, etc. that could cause recoil or ricochet. – Use a hammer or positive place- ment nailer when nailing metal join- ery or irregular lumber. – Always shoot nail guns away from your body and away from co-workers. – Always disconnect the com- pressed air when leaving a nail- er unattended, when travelling up and down a ladder or stairs; when continued on page 26 Gate Operator Covers Flat Cap Pyramid Cap Pre-Formed Faux Rock Pillars ³,I\RXFDQ¶WWHOOWKHGLIIHUHQFHZKDWGLIIHUHQFHGRHVLWPDNH´ Starting at $94.50 Ɣ No mason required Ɣ Same day installation Ɣ Maintenance free Ɣ Impact resistant / durable Ɣ No sub-contractors Ɣ One person installation Ɣ UV fade resistant Ɣ Can be shipped by UPS! Before After Tri Custom Manufacturing w w w . t r i c m . c o m Phone 435-563-0261 Toll Free 1-866-833-9589 Stack Section 21" x 21" x 15 1/2" high Main Pillar Section 21" x 21" x 46" high (Add 10 1/2" for pyramid cap and 4" for À at cap) 35