Injured at work by a nail gun?

As a construction worker, you are used to working with a certain level of danger every time that you step onto the construction site. And it’s true that you have chosen an occupation that is fraught with more danger than those working most other industries face.

One particular hazard are the nail guns that construction workers often put to daily use. Clients, company owners and workers alike tout the use of nail guns because they boost productivity significantly.

Many construction workers injured by nail guns

The downside is that they cause tens of thousands of injuries annually. As many as two out of five workers on residential construction sites suffers nail gun injuries over a four-year span. Though usually quite painful, some never even get reported.

How nail gun injuries occur

Multi-shot contact triggers double the risk of injury from the use of single-shot sequential trigger nail guns. Below are some tips for reducing the likelihood of nail gun injuries or complications from injuries to develop:

1. Have only full sequential trigger nailers on site to use
2. Provide adequate training in nail gun operation to all who use them
3. Ensure all workers are provided with personal protective equipment (PPE)
4. Establish best practices for nail gun use on the job
5. Have on hand first aid supplies to render treatment to injured workers
6. Encourage injured workers to report their injuries and openly discuss close calls

Safety begins with you

Each worker is also responsible for their own safety on every construction site. If you see unsafe use of nail guns on a residential or commercial construction site, notify the foreman and/or the safety man. Also, never cause or contribute to the flouting of safety rules on a job site.

If you wind up injured

Some companies will do right by their workers who wind up injured. But others will fight tooth and nail to deny their own workers’ legitimate workers’ compensation claims. If you discover that you are working for one of the latter instead of the former companies, you may need to take legal action in order to be able to access any financial and medical benefits.

Learning more about the legal options that you have after filing a claim can be quite beneficial should you have to appeal a denial.

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