What sets humans apart is our ability to grip, shape and control tools with precision. This capability has fueled nearly every major advancement in history — and remains essential to the way we work today. From an artist guiding a brush across canvas to a pitcher firing a fastball and in countless roles in between, our hands are the bridge between skill, creativity and the tools that bring them to life.
“Think about what we do with our hands every day,” said Philip Nicholas, Environmental Health and Safety Manager for CP&P Precast, a CMP Precast Business. “The hands are utilized for almost every task in our facilities, from driving a forklift to troweling concrete. Proper hand protection prevents injuries, reduces lost-time incidents and increases productivity.”
Almost half of the respondents to NPCA’s 2025 Safety Award said hand safety was an important topic to cover with membership. There is merit to the concern, as hands are used in almost every daily task. OSHA reports over 100,000 nonfatal hand injuries annually, with major causes including machinery, lack of PPE and incorrect glove usage.
Fundamentally, there are many ways hands can be affected in the workplace, especially in a precast environment. Large-scale machinery can be hazardous and requires proper operation to be safe. Smaller hand tools can go haywire due to wear and tear or simple misuse. The materials themselves can pose some risk, with heavy loads and sharp edges presenting problems. All told, hand injuries come down to two things – the previously mentioned, which can’t be controlled, and what can. The risks involved with certain materials are one thing, but most hand injuries come down to a lapse in awareness or some other mental lapse.
When asked what leads to errors that create hand safety concerns, Nicholas responded, “Not focused on the task at hand, in a rush to get it done, lack of proper training and not having the correct tools or equipment.”
It’s apparent in this conversation about hand safety that gloves – the hand covering we are all most familiar with – are important. No glove is one-size (or situation)- fits-all. Let’s cover a few:
- Leather gloves protect against rough or sharp surfaces, essential when handling all types of rough materials.
- Special insulated gloves offer protection from temperature-affected substances.
- Cut-resistant gloves ward against cuts from knives or sharp ends.
- Anti-vibration gloves can provide relief from the excessive vibrations of hand tools and machinery.
- Chemical-resistant gloves are designed to prevent contact with potentially hazardous chemicals.