Hand Safety- Better to Prevent than Repent

Abstract

For all intents and purposes, hands are used by everyone for every task, whether at work or at home. Because of this fact, hands are the most commonly injured body parts. Hand injuries comprise a substantial proportion of trauma seen in every hospital worldwide. Although hands can be injured anywhere—on the road, in the workplace, and at home—in this age of industrialization with incredible dependence on tools and machines, occupational and industrial hand injuries are on the global rise, both in developed and developing countries. Studies have demonstrated that 70% of major hand trauma due to machines is preventable. Hand injuries occur mainly among young adults, predominantly males. Many of these injuries inflict the dominant hand, thereby impeding a person’s ability to work or cope with social obligations.