
Hand Safety in the Construction Industry

Introduction
The construction industry is fraught with hazards, particularly to the hands and wrists. Statistical data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020) indicates that over 12,000 hand and wrist-related injuries occur annually in the construction sector. When considering cuts and lacerations of the fingers and hands, the number of days away from work due to these injuries—approximately 110,000 annually—is second only to back strains and sprains. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that hand injuries send more than 1 million workers to emergency rooms each year in the United States.
Mechanical Risks in Construction
The nature of construction work exposes workers to a wide range of mechanical risks that can result in severe hand injuries, including:
Cuts and Amputations - These injuries often occur during the use of cutting tools such as band saws, power saws, rotary cutters, and when handling raw materials like metal sheet supports and cladding. Fingertip amputations are common during tasks performed near power cutting tools like compact routers and rotary saws.
Lacerations and Avulsions - Workers are at risk of these injuries when using power tools like drills or working within complex metal bar structures.
Abrasions and Friction - Handling textured materials like metal bars, ropes, chains, clay bricks, abrasives, fiberglass, asphalt, and sand for long periods can lead to abrasions. Sudden entrapment by moving or rotating parts of machinery, such as bore drill rods or corded drills, can cause abraded avulsions and mechanical trauma.
Inflammation - Prolonged use of demolition hammers and chipping tools during demolition and excavation can cause inflammation of the hands.
Strikes and Fractures - Large machinery, particularly when pulling and handling during the production and installation of heavy concrete bars, can cause strikes and fractures.
Punctures and Splinters - These injuries may occur during the use of nail guns, especially if nails are discharged into the worker's hand, or when using metal strings in rebar construction.
Impacts and Knocks - Working in confined spaces, such as within steel constructions or underground structural work containing metal frames, can lead to impact injuries.
Crushes and Smashes - Handling heavy components or using tools like hammers and nails can result in crush injuries.
Chemical Risks in Construction
The construction industry also involves significant chemical risks, particularly during various stages of the construction process:
Chemical Exposure - This can occur through immersion, intermittent contact, or splashes during tasks such as pouring concrete via a pump. Chemical products in construction are typically mixtures of ingredients, many of which are toxic to human health. For example, cement contains gypsum and silica, while coating and painting systems may contain formaldehyde, isocyanates, and acetaldehyde—all of which pose serious health risks.
Thermal Risks in Construction
Thermal risks are also prevalent in construction work, particularly in tasks involving high heat or ignition sources:
Burn Injuries - Burn injuries are common during welding, where splashes and fumes can ignite and cause burns to the hands. Similarly, the rotary cutting of metal bars can splash metal debris, leading to burn injuries.
Unseen Risks and Delayed Responses
The construction environment is often fraught with invisible hazards, making it difficult for safety managers to identify and mitigate risks effectively:
Skin Irritation, Acne, and Contact Dermatitis - Chromium ions in cement, formaldehyde in binders and adhesives, and fiberglass used in roofing can cause irritant and allergic contact dermatitis and burns, sometimes followed by ulceration. Bitumen can cause acne, while epoxy resins are known to cause dermatitis.
Musculoskeletal Disorders - Prolonged use of vibrational tools like hydraulic concrete cutters, drill machines, asphalt leveling machines, and power demolition equipment can lead to conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and white fingers.
Carcinogenic Risks - Chemicals like hexamethylene diisocyanate polymer found in waterproofing systems and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are potent carcinogens.
Defatting and Cracking - Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as toluene and heptane, present in paint systems, can deplete the skin's lipid barrier, leading to defatting and cracking.
Conclusion
The construction industry presents a wide array of risks to hand safety, from mechanical and chemical dangers to thermal and biological hazards. The invisible nature of many risks and the potential for delayed responses necessitate a proactive approach to hand protection. By understanding these risks and implementing appropriate safety measures, construction workers can significantly reduce the incidence of hand injuries and improve overall safety and productivity.
