This winter, a Manitoban worker was severely injured by an air-nailer.
In this incident, the worker picked up the air-nailer and it went off, shooting the worker in the leg with a nail.
Nail guns are very powerful and can be very dangerous. Depending on the severity of the injury, nail gun incidents can result in blindness, brain damage, bone fractures, and even death. It’s critical to know what type of nail gun you’re using AND how to use it safely.
Here are a few safe work highlights from our toolbox talk on nail guns:
- Wear the proper PPE.
- Keep your hands and fingers away from the line of fire.
- Always keep hands and fingers off the trigger when you are not using the gun.
- When you are not using the gun, engage the trigger safety device or disconnect from the power source.
- Inspect the nail gun pre-use and use it as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Only operate a nail gun if you have received proper training.
If you and/or your workers use nail guns in your day-to-day tasks, be sure to review our full toolbox talk on nail gun safety to refresh knowledge and prevent a similar incident from occurring on YOUR jobsite.
