Laceration Prevention

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Laceration Prevention

• DOE OE Committee March 11, 2014

Robert Selvey Safety Health Services Division
Personal Protective Equipment SME
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• Agenda
• Background info on Lacerations - Injury Costs,
  Hazards, Controls
• Hazards- At Risk Tools Surfaces
• Control Measures- Safe tools PPE
• Self-Assessments (Surveillances)

BNL 2014 OSH Objective Reduce Lacerations To
prevent lacerations expand implementation of
craft engagement through tool replacement and
employee awareness. Line organizations conduct
review of work spaces for inappropriate cutting
implements (i.e. razor blades, personal knives,
etc.) Target 50 Reduction in laceration
events.
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The cost of Lacerations (besides pain and
suffering)

• National Safety Council estimates that each
  laceration costs
• 13,948

There are 439,000 disabling hand and finger
injuries each year in the US
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Perform Self Assessments

• Site level Target Objective for 2014
• Objective Reduce Lacerations
• To prevent lacerations
• Expand implementation of craft engagement through
  tool replacement and employee awareness.
• Line organizations conduct review of work spaces
  for inappropriate cutting implements and
  hazardous conditions
• (i.e. razor blades, personal knives, sharp edges,
  pointed objects, etc.)
• Target 50 Reduction in laceration events.

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Self-assessment(Surveillance)Who? Anyone4
questions1. Sharp edges2. Puncture Hazards3.
Cutting tools4. PPE in use
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Self-assessment (Surveillance)

• 1a. Are sharp edges present (laceration hazards)
• b. Exposed fixed blades
• c. Sheet metal edges exposed (not de-burred)

• 2. Is there a puncture hazard present
• a. Unguarded rod ends
• b. Pointed objects present
• c. Knives or blades with pointed ends being used
  

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Hazards that create lacerations

• Tools with sharp surfaces
• Knives
• Razor blade tools (paint scrappers, box cutter,
  Extacto)
• Saws
• Surfaces with sharp edges burrs
• Sheet metal with sharp, serrated edges
• Metal tubing burrs
• Glass edges and shards
• Thin surfaces- metal, paper, plastic

Protection by Removal or covering sharp edges
Gloves (PPE)
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Metal burr

• A raised edge or small pieces of material
  remaining on a work piece.
• Created after machining operations, such as
  grinding, drilling, milling, engraving or
  turning.
• It is removed by de-burring- Manual
  Electrochemical Thermal energy Cryogenic

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Punctures

• Some likely sources
• to be considered in the
• surveillance
• Cut end of wire
• Broken Glass/ Plastic
• Barb Wire
• Metal tubes, wire, pipes

Puncture PPE is different from Laceration PPE.
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Protectsharp points

• Some likely controls
• to be considered in the
• surveillance
• Barriers
• Covers

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Self-assessment (Surveillance)

• 3. Are cutting tools with sharp blades used
• a. Fixed blade cutting devices used (Risk Level
  5)
• b. Manually retracting blade cutting devices
  used (Risk Level 5)
• c. Auto-retracting blade cutting devices used -
  auto retracts when pressure removed from trigger
  (Risk Level 4)
• d. Smart-retracting blade cutting devices used -
  auto retracts on loss of contact with object even
  if pressure on trigger remains (Risk Level 3)
• e. Concealed blade cutting devices being used
  (Risk Level 2)
• f. Bladeless cutting tools used (Risk Level 1)

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Traditional Cutting Tools
What they have in common BLADE IS EXPOSED even
when it is not in contact with the cutting
material
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Somewhat safer Cutting Tools
What they have in common Tool has a trigger.
The blade is exposed only when the trigger is
engaged. But you must take pressure off the
trigger for the blade to retract.
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Better tools that Lower Risk
Safety features are automatic Blade
self-retracts Blade is shielded when not cutting
As blade come further out based on friction with
material being cut, Clutch on blade disengages.
If friction is lost, blade snaps back in.
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Safety Level Chart for TOOLS
Safest

Least Safe
Level 5 Manually Retractable Fixed Blade
Knifes No Safety Features
Level 4 Spring Loaded Retractable Blade
Knifes Some Safety provided
Level 3 Smart Knifes Auto Retractable Blade
Safety cannot be over-ridden under normal use
Level 2 Concealed Blade Safety Cutters
Unexposed blade, can not be overridden under
normal use
Level 1 Bladeless Safety Cutters No metal
blades, can not be overridden under normal use
5 levels of safety in tools

• Level 4
• Safe during pickup
• Hazardous during use
• Safe storage

• Level 3
• Safe during picking up
• Lower Hazard during use
• Safe during storage

Level 2 No Hazard during picking up, use, or
storage
Level 1 No metal blades

• Level 5
• Hazardous during
• Picking Up
• Use
• Storage

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Recommended Safety Cutters

• Several alternative style cutting devices were
  evaluated in 2012, including
• Level 3 Self Retracting blade
• Martego 122001
• Megasafe 116006
• Level 2 Concealed blade
• Combi 109137

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Martego 122001 (Level 3)
BNL Stock H20000 21.27
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Megasafe 116006 (Level 3)

• Smart Knife
• Safe alternative to fixed blade utility knives
• Blade automatically retracts when it leaves the
  material being cut

BNL Stock H20005 14.75
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Combi 109137 (Level 2)

• Concealed blade safety cutter
• Protects user and prevents accidental product
  damage
• Safely cuts film, paper, shrink wrap, strapping,
  banding and bag opening

Not a BNL Stock Item
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Combi 109137 (Level 2)
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Self-assessment (Surveillance)

• 4. What PPE is being used
• a. No gloves being used
• b. Non-cut-resistant gloves being used (eg.
  cotton/polyester)
• c. Non-resistant leather gloves being used
  (cowhide, pigskin, goat skin)
• d. Cut resistant fiber gloves being used
  (Kevlar, Dyneema, etc.)
• e. Cut resistant steel/fiber composite gloves
  being used
• f. Cut resistant stainless steel mesh gloves
  being used

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Cut Protective Gloves

• Cut Resistant gloves
• Meet ASTM standards
• Best gloves are made of man-made fibers
• Kevlar, Spectra, Dyneema Steel
• Gloves that are subject to cut risk (do not meet
  Cut Resistant criteria)
• Cotton Leather, Nylon

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Cut Resistant GlovesUsed for sheet metal
handling and glass handling.

• Kevlar aramid fiber, 5x stronger than steel by
  weight.
• Flame, cut, and heat-resistance.
• Spectra polyethylene fiber that offers high
  cut-resistance, even when wet. Its 10X stronger
  than steel by weight.
• Dyneema polyethylene fiber up to 15x stronger
  than quality steel by weight and up to 40
  stronger than aramid fibers.
• Metal Mesh interlocked stainless steel mesh
  offers superior cut and puncture protection due
  to its strength. Poor comfort and fit. Conducts
  cold and heat.

3 - 4 3 4 3 4 6
Manufacturers use ASTM F-1790 for measuring cut
protection Scale 0 6 Level 0 (least
protective) to Level 6 (most protective).
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Cloth gloves

• Cotton or nylon woven fiber
• Dipped fabric

• Low cost,
• Moderately durable,
• Good for gripping if coated,
• Poor to Fair laceration resistance
• Poor for abrasion resistance
• Very poor puncture resistance
• Scale 0 - 1

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Leather Gloves

• Deerskin
• Pig skin
• Goat skin
• Horse hide
• Cow hide

• Cost more than cotton,
• Fair for gripping,
• Low laceration resistance
• Scale 0 - 1
• Very durable from abrasion,
• High puncture resistant (best)

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Puncture Resistance - Leather
Cheapest
Best
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Cut Resistance
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Cut Abrasion Resistance

• For cuts Kelvar and Dyneema are 5x to 10x better
  than leather Stainless Steel blends are the
  best.
• For abrasion leather is best

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Conclusions

• Elimination of injuries from lacerations by
• Removing Sharp Surfaces (deburring and covering)
• Using Safer Tools that reduce the exposure to
  sharp blades
• Wearing PPE that is cut resistant
• SURVEILLANCES
• Evaluating situations to determine hazards
  corrective measures
• Goal-
• Each organization conducts at least 3
  surveillances in FY2014.
• Convey Laceration Safety techniques to personnel
  in your periodic communications.

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Questions or comments?

• Samples of the safe cutting tools and PPE are on
  display in the PPE Demo Room (Building30) on
  Thursdays.
• An Open House for science is planned in March
  where gloves and safe tools will be part of the
  exhibit.