Prevention of traumatic nail gun injuries in apprentice carpenters: Use of population‐based measures to monitor intervention effectiveness

Abstract

Introduction-Nail guns are responsible for a significant injury burden in residential construction. Risk, based on hours of work, is particularly high among apprentice carpenters due in part to more frequent exposure to tool use.

Continued progress in the prevention of nail gun injuries among apprentice carpenters: What will it take to see wider spread injury reductions?

“…The tools are easy to operate and their use is common even among very inexperienced workers Lipscomb et al, 2006Lipscomb et al, , 2008. We previously reported injury reductions among carpenter apprentices through access to early training and to tools with sequential triggers (Lipscomb et al, 2008). In this report we present findings from the fourth year of follow-up among this high risk group following an additional year of effort to reduce traumatic injuries caused by pneumatic nail guns.…”

“…These analyses mirrored our earlier reports from these apprenticeship programs allowing us to compare each of these metrics to those reported previously for 2005, 2006, and 2007 (Lipscomb et al, 2006(Lipscomb et al, , 2008. Data from the questionnaires were entered and stored in an ACCESS database (Microsoft, 2007) …”

“…Nail guns have become a very common tool in residential wood frame construction. The tools are easy to operate and their use is common even among very inexperienced workers Lipscomb et al, 2006Lipscomb et al, , 2008. We previously reported injury reductions among carpenter apprentices through access to early training and to tools with sequential triggers (Lipscomb et al, 2008).…”

“…Lack of training and use of tools with contact triggers are known risk factors for acute traumatic nail gun injuries in wood frame construction (Lipscomb, Dement, Nolan, & Patterson, 2006;Lipscomb, Nolan, Patterson, & Dement, 2008). Contact triggers allow the tool to discharge a nail anytime the nose piece of the gun and the trigger are both depressed.…”

Buyer beware: Personnel selling nail guns know little about dangerous tools

“…This is particularly concerning given the documentation that tools with contact triggers carry twice the risk of acute injury of those with sequential actuation [Lipscomb et al, 2006[Lipscomb et al, , 2008[Lipscomb et al, , 2010a], yet individuals who purchase tools are typically not being so informed. In fact, they often get erroneous information about the actuation systems.…”