ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- A worker was cutting grass on a lawn tractor. The chute got clogged and he stuck his hand in to dislodge the grass, neglecting to see if the blade had stopped.
The mistake cost him a trip to the emergency room, fifteen stitches and a week of light duty.
The best way to find out if mower blades are still spinning is definitely not to stick your hand in and have the blades slice it open.
Personally, when I feel the need to lose a half pint of blood, I save it for the depot blood drive.
At least I can sit in a comfy chair, eat a cookie and think about how the blood will be put to good use versus using it to paint the underside of a mower.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports:
• There are 110,000 lost-time hand injuries that occur annually.
• Hand injuries send more than one million workers to the emergency room each year.
• 70 percent of workers who experienced hand injuries were not wearing gloves.
• The remaining 30 percent of injured workers did wear gloves, but the gloves were inadequate, damaged or the wrong type for the type of hazard present.
Had this gentleman ensured the blade had stopped and been wearing cut resistant gloves, he may have avoided being a statistic for the Bureau of Labor.
Not all hand safety has to be geared towards sharp objects, nor should you only keep your hands safe while on the clock.
Case in point:
An off-duty civilian worker saw a raccoon in an area where no raccoon should be and walked over to it.
This cute, cuddly, woodland creature didn't scamper off, but remained still, watching him come closer.
The employee threw his jacket over the animal and picked it up, intending to bring it back to his home.
It took only a moment for the raccoon to become agitated - growling, hissing and thrashing in an attempt to free itself.
One raccoon bite to the hand and a series of rabies shots and we have a fascinating story about the importance of keeping your hands safe, even after the end of your shift.
The bottom line is hand injuries happen all the time, are costly to business and are easy to dismiss as no big deal, since they are often not as life-threatening as an injury to the back or head.
Your hands are a vital part of almost everything you do. They are one of your most valuable tools.
Take a moment to reflect on how often you use your hands, beginning from the moment you turn off your alarm in the morning to when you pull back the covers to get in bed at night.
Now, think about what you would do without them.
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