FACTS
- Injuries related to pneumatic nail guns are more common than injuries from powder-actuated tools.
- Powder-actuated tools drive studs by power from an explosive charge. Their operation is similar to a firearm and they can be just as dangerous if used carelessly. You also could be risking your life and the lives of others if you attempt to use this tool without proper instruction.
- Using a nail gun with a bump or automatic trigger (also known as contact trip trigger) can result in unintended nail discharge. Other risks include lack of training, working fast and keeping the trigger squeezed when not nailing. Using a nail gun with a single shot or full sequential trigger reduces the risk of injury.
- Powder-actuated tools have the same hazards as a firearm because they use a powder charge to fire a fastener into concrete, steel, wood or other material. They’ve been the cause of numerous deaths and injuries.
- Powder-actuated tools are powerful, easy to operate, and fast at driving nails. But in the wrong hands, they can cause serious injuries.
STATS
- Powder-actuated tools are responsible for an estimated 37,000 emergency room visits across the United States every year.
- About 66 percent of Powder-actuated tools injuries occur in framing and sheathing work in residential construction.
- A study of apprentice carpenters found that about 40 percent of them were injured on one occasion while using a nail gun during their four years of training.
- More than half of reported Powder-actuated tools injuries involve the hands or the fingers.
- One-quarter of hand injuries involve structural damage to the tendons, joints, nerves, and bones.
- Injuries from nail guns send approximately 25,000 construction workers to the emergency room each year.