Nail Gun Safety Still Important

Nail guns are one of the most commonly used tools on the jobsite. Unfortunately, they are also commonly the cause of injuries, most of which are easily preventable.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released new guidance for nail gun safety, including best practices for safe use and gun type recommendations.

Two-thirds of all nail gun injury workers' comp claims were caused by unintended nail gun discharge or misfire. One in 10 nail gun injuries occurred to a co-worker, caused by airborne nails or the co-worker bumping into the contact of a gun while being carried with the trigger squeezed.

The most highly recommended trigger type for nail guns is a full sequential trigger. This trigger requires the user to push the contact tip into the work surface and then squeeze the trigger. Nails cannot be bump fired from this gun, which prevents misfires and accidents that can cause serious, even deadly, injuries.

Other recommendations to improve safety include keeping the gun's built-in safety features in proper working order. Disabled safety features are seen as a time saver, but they can allow an easily preventable accident to happen. Companies should also establish nail gun work procedures and make sure all workers undergo thorough training before using equipment on a jobsite.

Contact us for a copy of OSHA and NIOSH's nail gun safety guide.