Hand Safety Program
Six Steps To A Safer Workplace
Hand injuries are also the #1 preventable industrial accident
The question remains, if they are preventable, why are hand injuries so common? Believe it or not, the answer isn’t simply wearing gloves. PPE isn’t even the first line of defense in preventing workplace injuries. To minimize or eliminate hand injuries in the workplace, it requires implementing a safety culture that goes beyond PPE.
How Superior Glove
got it right
We worked with companies that have reduced hand injuries by 50%, even 90%, in their effort to find practical solutions to minimize hand injuries in the workplace.
Working on-site with the safety managers and workers, we realized that the success of a hand safety program is rooted in the model of creating a safer work culture across the company by reevaluating and redesigning the existing safety measures.
Six steps to hand safety
To understand how arc flash-resistant gloves protect workers’ hands, we first need to understand what an arc flash is.
STEP 1
Discovery
DEFINE HAND SAFETY GOALS AND REVIEW INJURY STATISTICS
As a first step, we collaborate closely with the safety manager to assess if our program suits your requirements. We use a questionnaire to gain insights into your existing hand safety practices and your desired goals. A detailed walkthrough of the questionnaire allows us to identify areas that can be improved.
The discovery phase is fundamental to our program’s success. It enables us to understand the unique challenges the company faces and whether Superior Glove can help achieve your goals.
STEP 2
Assessment
CONDUCT HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
We conduct on-site visits to assess the working conditions of the facility. We collaborate with safety managers, supervisors, and employees to voice their questions and concerns and see if they are using the correct gloves for their specific hazards. At this stage, we also take glove measurements in preparation for our PPE trail.
As building a safety culture requires looking beyond just PPE, we assess safety measures at each stage using the hierarchy of controls. This includes elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE as the last line of defense. To learn more about the role of hierarchy of controls in creating safer workplace, check out Workplace Safety: Why PPE is the Last Line of Defense that discusses each stage in detail. Depending on the size of the company, this stage can take anywhere between a day or two.
STEP 3
Report
HAND SAFETY ACTION PLAN
Findings from our workplace assessment help us create a detailed action plan that includes appropriate recommendations for the PPE trail (Step 4) and actionable steps that can help improve your safety culture. With some flexibility—and depending on the individual company size and structure—this step can be conducted alongside the assessment phase (Step 2) or PPE trail (Step 4) to ensure a seamless integration of the hand safety program.
STEP 4
PPE trial
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HAND SAFETY ACTION PLAN
At the core of our hand safety program is the PPE trial. Two to three weeks after the company assessment (Step 2), employees get the opportunity to put their gloves to the test and measure glove performance and comfort while handling tasks on the ground. Along with their sample gloves, employees are given an evaluation sheet to provide feedback on what worked and what can be improved. At the end of the PPE trail, we also collect the provided sample gloves.
STEP 5
Evaluation
MEASURE RESULTS AGAINST COMPANY GOALS
All discoveries and feedback gathered during the previous steps are used to measure results versus the company’s hand safety goals. This includes testing the sample gloves provided during the trial stage for durability and longevity. This evaluation report highlights the results from the PPE trial and assessments made during the on-site visits. The report is shared with safety managers and supervisors who can use it to make appropriate PPE changes, where necessary, and determine where they can remedy a hazard using other measures detailed in the hierarchy of controls.
STEP 6
Launch
GET READY TO REDUCE HAND INJURIES
The step can mean different things, depending on how your company plans to utilize the hand safety program to your advantage. We can work with your distributors to supply the appropriate PPE based on our hand safety evaluation. We also offer hand safety training around gloves that can benefit your teams in making the most out of their PPE. Whatever route you choose, Superior Glove aims to not only provide high-quality and durable PPE, but also support your company goals in maintaining a culture of hand safety that protects workers and boosts productivity.
Next Steps
Ready to reduce hand injuries but don’t know where to start? Let’s take the first step to determine if we are the right fit for you. Click below to request a free consultation.
