FACTS

1. There are new glove material technologies that combine a high level of cut protection along with light weight, thinness for improved dexterity and breathability to prevent overheating are emerging in the market. 
2. In view of the major costs of hand injuries, advanced safety gloves can deliver a fast return on investment for an organization.
3. Hand injuries are among the leading causes of work-related injury.
4. Workplace hand injuries, particularly cuts and abrasions, not only affect workers’ health but also generate high direct and indirect costs for businesses.
5. The most common cause of hand injuries in the workplace today is human error. Not lack of personal protective hand coverage, not faulty machines, not environmental issues. 
6. The most common types of hand injuries are bruises, pinches, lacerations, abrasions, strains, amputations, dislocations, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, and Raynaud’s Disease. 
7. The non-dominant hand is the most vulnerable to injury.

STATS

• According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand injuries account for 1,080,000 emergency department visits by workers per year in the United States. More than 110,000 days-away-from-work are estimated from hand and finger lacerations on an annual basis.

• • About 15 percent of these injuries were amputations, partial amputations, crushes and fractures. 
  • Almost 3,000 injury cases showed that two out of three injured workers were young, below age 40. The leading cause of injury was contact with cutting or piercing objects, most often pieces of metal, razors and knives, power tools and nails.
  • 70 percent of workers who experienced hand injuries were not wearing gloves.
  • The remaining 30 percent of injured workers did wear gloves, but the gloves were inadequate, damaged or the wrong type for the type of hazard present.

• Wearing gloves reduces the relative risk of injury by 60 %.
• Workers report that they had worn gloves only 27 % of the work time, and only 19 percent reported wearing gloves at the time of the injury.