Hand & Finger Safety

What you'll learn

• Explain why hand and finger injuries are the largest injury category in field operations and what makes them life-changing.
• Identify the main hand-injury mechanisms — pinch and crush points, line of fire, caught-between, rotating equipment, sharp edges, striking tools, dropped loads, and chemical or thermal contact — on your own tasks.
• Apply hands-free techniques: tag lines, push-pull sticks, and the rule that hands never go on a suspended or moving load.
• Select task-matched gloves (impact, cut, chemical, hot work) and state when gloves must NOT be worn, such as near rotating equipment.
• Assess tools before use, reject damaged or improvised tools, and choose the right tool for the job instead of cheater bars or homemade solutions.
• Demonstrate correct first-response actions for a hand injury and lead pinch-point identification with your crew.

Curriculum

Progress through each competency level in order.