Nail Guns Cause Serious Injuries in Construction Sites
Nail guns are extremely useful to have around construction sites. However, according to recent reports nationwide, these handy pieces of equipment have also been a significant hazard. Nail guns are quick, air-powered and automatically discharge multiple nails at a time. According to an article in the Sacramento Bee about the danger of nail guns, most nail guns can fire 30 nails a minute and those nails can travel 490 feet per second. In some cases, nail guns can become a dangerous weapon.
A national report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows that the number of people affected by nail gun injuries adds up to 42,000 a year. That amounts to more than 100 people a day who are treated for nail gun injuries in emergency rooms across the United States. The cost of treating nail gun injuries is about $338 million a year in emergency medical care, rehabilitation and workers compensation, the CPSC study says.
In addition to operator inattention, serious nail gun accidents in Arizona also occur because of defective nail guns. Nail gun operators or even bystanders can be injured or killed when a nail gun is not used properly or when it malfunctions. Nail guns can cause head injuries, serious eye injuries, soft tissue injuries, serious infections, or even death. Employers also have the responsibility to train workers to use these tools properly.
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