Acute Hand Injury in Manual Workers - Prevention and Management

Introduction

The hand, being the body's primary and frequently utilized appendage, is particularly vulnerable to injury. Hand injuries are a prevalent cause of manual workers seeking emergency medical care, attributable to the demanding nature of their duties involving physical exertion and direct interaction with tools and machinery. These injuries result in work absences and significantly impact their personal lives, potentially affecting socioeconomic status and disrupting daily routines. Employers must prioritize ensuring a safe workplace environment to mitigate the risk of such injuries for their workers.

What Types of Acute Hand Injuries Are Common Among Manual Workers?

Acute hand injuries encompass a spectrum ranging from relatively straightforward tendon damage to complex trauma involving bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. Predominantly, fingers bear the brunt of such injuries, accounting for approximately 70 percent of cases, followed by injuries to the right hand.

Common acute hand injuries include:

• Crushing injuries, constituting around 13 percent of cases, often result from entrapment or compression between heavy objects or machinery. These injuries can lead to impaired function, nerve damage, and soft tissue trauma.

• Avulsions or detachments, comprising about six percent of cases, frequently occur due to machinery with moving parts, potentially resulting in permanent loss of function.

• Skin lacerations or cuts, prevalent in approximately 63 percent of cases, are typically caused by sharp tools, machinery, or blunt force. These cuts may vary in severity, necessitating prompt medical attention.

• Bone fractures, which account for around five percent of cases, often result from high-impact forces applied to the hand.

• Punctures, occurring in approximately six percent of cases, result from sharp objects penetrating the skin, such as screws, nails, or splinters.

• Electrical, thermal, or chemical burns can occur if workers come into contact with hot surfaces or chemicals, ranging from minor to third-degree burns.

• Contusions, penetrations, frostbite, sprains, and strains are also among the potential injuries.

Improper use of equipment can strain hand muscles, while inadequate or improper safety glove usage can compromise grip strength and increase injury risk. Adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain or extreme heat, further exacerbate the risk of work-related hand injuries.

What Are the Risk Factors for Acute Injuries in Manual Workers?

Manual workers face acute hand injuries in various common areas, including powered machines, building materials, and power tools.

These injuries often stem from a variety of factors, including:

• Need more attention during work.

• Refrain from maintenance in the workplace.

• Careless operation of machinery.

• Haste during work, resulting in slips or falls.

• Personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection, or appropriate footwear is absent.

• Need for adequate knowledge or training in machine operation.

• Extended work hours lead to fatigue and increased risk of accidents.

• Wear loose clothing or jewelry while working.

• Presence of chronic diseases among workers.

• Repetitive strains and prolonged use of vibratory tools heighten the risk of hand injuries.

How to Prevent Acute Hand Injuries Among Manual Workers?

Here are the preventive methods outlined uniquely:

• Manual workers should select appropriate safety gloves tailored to their tasks, including cut-resistant, heat-resistant, chemical-resistant, and cold-weather work gloves. Ensuring these gloves fit well is crucial for maintaining a controlled grip while operating machinery. Regular inspection of gloves for signs of wear or damage is also recommended.

• Employers play a pivotal role in preventing accidents by conducting thorough workplace inspections to identify and eliminate potential hazards wherever possible.

• Providing comprehensive training to workers ensures they possess the knowledge and skills to perform tasks safely and avoid injury.

• Workers should exercise caution and keep their hands away from moving machine components such as fans, belts, blades, turbines, or compactors to minimize the risk of accidents.

• Proper machine safety protocols should be observed, including locking machines when not in use and unplugging devices like power drills to prevent unintended activation.

• Workers are advised to utilize forklifts rather than manually lifting heavy objects to reduce strain and potential hand injuries.

• Personal protective equipment, including well-fitted headgear, gloves, protective clothing, boots, and eye protection, should be consistently worn to mitigate risks in the workplace.

What Is the Management of Acute Hand Injury Among the Manual Workers?

The management of acute hand injuries involves several crucial steps:

• If bleeding, immediate direct pressure should be applied to the wound to stem the flow. In cases of penetration injuries, it is imperative not to remove the object but rather stabilize it and seek immediate medical attention at an emergency center.

• Emergency department visits are necessary if there's any indication of deformity, loss of function, severe pain, or swelling.

• X-rays are typically conducted to assess fractures accurately.

• For open wounds, thorough cleaning and dressing are essential, and antibiotics may be administered to prevent infection spread.

• Fractures require reduction and splinting to immobilize the hand, followed by physical therapy to aid healing and restore range of motion.

• In cases of finger avulsion, immediate measures such as icing, immobilization, and restricted activities are recommended. If reimplantation surgery is not feasible, the focus shifts to wound management, potential revision surgery, and subsequent rehabilitation efforts.

What Is the Prevalence of Acute Hand Injury in Manual Workers?

The frequency of acute hand injuries among manual workers fluctuates based on the industry and the precise nature of their job responsibilities. Research findings indicate that the occurrence rate of hand injuries spans from 15 to 46 percent over a lifetime, with an annual prevalence ranging between 5 and 30 percent. Approximately half of all hand-related injuries are attributed to manual labor, with thumb injuries being the most prevalent type.

Conclusion

The prevalence of acute hand injuries among manual workers underscores the importance of acknowledging the inherent risks associated with their labor-intensive tasks, often characterized by close interaction with machinery and tools. Recognizing the interplay between occupational activities and hand injuries offers invaluable perspectives, highlighting the necessity for enhanced protection and guidance within the manual labor industry. Through targeted interventions that address identified risk factors and integrate proactive preventive measures, efforts can be directed toward fostering safer work environments. Such initiatives mitigate immediate dangers and contribute to the overall welfare and occupational health of manual workers globally.