 Special technical services headquartered in Musket, Oman, is a leading construction, fabrication and maintenance service provider across GCC in energy and industrial sector company is committed towards the preservation of hand safety. It is so because many of our operations are conducted manually. Hands are the most versatile tools and one of our greatest assets. Given how much we use our hands to do all our tasks, it is not surprising that hand injuries are most common at workplace. More than 50% of all injuries are related to hands and fingers. Such statistics are devastating. This makes it very important for us to focus more on hand safety programs and spread awareness related to it. Some of the serious and repetitive hand injury incidents reported within the last two to three years from our operations are related to materials shifting, handling, lifting, hammering and pinch points. Let us go through some of our past hand or a finger injury cases. Material Handling On 8th January 2019, at around 10.30 hours, two rigors were loading four-inch diameter pipe spools of different length on a trailer using a telehandler. After loading around six spools weighing around 20 to 160 kilos each, the rigors tried to arrange the spools on trailer beds. For this, they started pushing and rolling them to sides. During this action, one of the rigors left-hand middle finger got pinched against another flange causing crush injury. Material Handling On 1st December 2016, at approximately 10.05 hours, a mechanical crew consisting of two rigors and a pick-and-carry crane operator were engaged in shifting four numbers of six-inch diameter pipe. Whilst offloading the pipes near the entrance of the fabrication shop, rigour 1 holding tagline tried to push the pipe load with his right hand. During this manoeuvre, his right-hand ring finger was trapped between the pipes resulting in a crush injury to the tip of the finger. Hammering On 8th November 2017, at around 15.30 hours, a subcontractor was trying to separate metal plates using wedge and hammer to place horizontal clamp for offloading. While doing so, the hammer slipped and hit his left-hand ring finger causing crush injury. Equipment Operation Barbending Machine On 6th February 2018, at around 11.35 hours, a STS employee working as a steel fixer injured his right-hand index and middle finger while operating barbending machine to bend 10mm steel rods. Incident occurred when injured employee accidentally pressed foot pedal control while inserting rebar. Some of the common causes of hands and finger injuries are inadequate planning in sight supervision, lack of perceived danger, improper risk assessment, carelessness or complacency, not following procedures, disregard for safety regulations, improper hand protection for the task. Such hand injuries can be avoided if the STS hand safety rules were being followed. The STS hand safety rules include Rule 1, no hands on moving loads. Whenever a load is being lifted, use a sufficient and correct tagline. Do not place hand on top of the load or between the load and the fixed object. Rule 2, energy off, hands on. Physically disconnect equipment from its power source. Test and try the equipment to ensure that equipment has been de-energized. Rule 3, permission to handle 20kg or above. No employees or contractor employees are required to manually lift or carry a load weighing over 20kg unless a formal risk assessment is prepared and documented. Utilize lifting devices such as forklift or cranes to transfer load. During manual handling, firmly grip the object with both hands and lift it keeping it close to the body. 20kg is the limit for manual handling. If load is 20kg or above, use mechanical lifting device. Rule 4, write tools and gloves for every task. Use write tool. Always use the right tool for the right job. For example, use torque wrenches or fingersavers. Keep tools and equipment properly maintained and in good repair. Periodically inspect tools for defects, wear or tear and a proper function. Safeguards. When working with machinery, make sure all guards are in place and properly adjusted. Never bypass safety controls in order to speed up work. Use the right gloves. Select hand gloves based on the task in hand. Always select the gloves based on the risk involved in the job. Ensure selection of correct size gloves for every task. Rule 5, watch out for pinch points. A pinch point is a place where it's possible for a body part to be caught between mechanical parts. Between moving and stationary machine parts. Between moving parts and materials being handled. While accessing any doors, keep hands and fingers clear. Pinch point injuries usually occur when you are distracted, hence focus on what you're doing at all times. Expect the unexpected. When using wrench, bars and other hand tools, the tools might slip which can be injurious to your hands. Failure to anticipate such a move could result in painful and serious injuries to hands and fingers. Take a moment and look at your hands. Those are the only two hands you will ever have. Any damage to them can adversely affect your productive life. Our hands are so important for work and for life, it's important that we take the proper...