Prevention of Nail Gun Injuries in Residential Construction: Reaching a Broader “T”
Hester Lipscomb, PhD Duke University
Durham, NC
Ph: 919-684-8175
Email: hester.lipscomb@duke.edu
Abstract:
Pneumatic nail guns have become a common tool in wood frame construction and they are now a leading cause of acute injuries among residential carpenters. Puncture wounds to the hands and fingers are most common, but there are also devastating, even life threatening, injuries associated with the use of these tools. Lack of training in tool use and use of tools with contact triggers are now known risk factors for injury. The project we propose builds on our demonstration of a 31% injury reduction among union carpenter apprentices in the St. Louis area as more hours of their tool use were with the safer sequential trigger and as they received early training in tool use. We propose a multi-faceted project focused on further reduction of nail gun injuries in residential construction through wider diffusion of these effective interventions, targeted outreach, and evaluation. In addition to continued work in the St. Louis area, we now plan outreach efforts to residential contractors in West Virginia with a largely non-union workforce. Active surveillance methods will be used to support ongoing evaluation in both the union and non-union sectors. We will also continue passive surveillance of emergency department visits for nail gun injuries using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) data for 2008-2012; this allows us to monitor national injury patterns among consumers and workers. Lastly a significant effort in this project will focus on outreach to policy makers, OSHA representatives, residential contractors, insurance companies and the general public with the goal of ultimately influencing policy changes that will support use of the safer trigger mechanism and definitions of minimal training requirements.
