Authors
Lowe BD; Albers JT; Hudock SD; Krieg EF
Source
Am J Ind Med 2016 Feb; 59(2):164-174
Abstract
Background: This article examines serious and fatal pneumatic nail gun (PNG) injury investigations for workplace, tool design, and human factors relevant to causation and resulting OS&H authorities' responses in terms of citations and penalties. Methods: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) database of Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries (F&CIS) were reviewed (1985-2012) to identify n=258 PNG accidents. Results: 79.8% of investigations, and 100% of fatalities, occurred in the construction industry. Between 53-71% of injuries appear to have been preventable had a safer sequential trigger tool been used. Citations and monetary penalties were related to injury severity, body part injured, disabling of safety devices, and insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE). Conclusions: Differences may exist between construction and other industries in investigators interpretations of PNG injury causation and resulting citations/penalties. Violations of PPE standards were penalized most severely, yet the preventive effect of PPE would likely have been less than that of a safer sequential trigger.
Keywords
Workers; Work-environment; Injuries; Construction-workers; Construction-industry; Traumatic-injuries; Mortality-rates; Morbidity-rates; Pneumatic-tools; Pneumatic-equipment; Hand-tools; Power-tools; Tools; Workers; Work-environment; Equipment-design; Personal-protection; Personal-protective-equipment; Safety-measures; Safety-practices; Safety-equipment; Safety-education; Accidents;
Author Keywords: pneumatic nail gun; traumatic injury; struck by; accident investigation; trigger safety; Power-tools
Contact
Brian D. Lowe, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., Mail Stop C-24, Cincinnati, OH 45226
Document Type
Journal Article
Email Address
blowe@cdc.gov
Priority Area
Construction
Source Name
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
