Protecting hands in the automotive industry

According to Worksafe Victoria, injuries to the hands and fingers account for 14% of all injuries in the automotive industry. These can be avoided by the “use of appropriate protective equipment (eg, gloves)”.

After a terrible injury at its Geelong plant, in which a worker sliced his hand severely, metal manufacturer Backwell IXL overhauled procedures across its entire operation to better protect employees.

The Ansell Vantage 70-761 glove is now specified across the company’s entire pressings, coatings and roll mills area. Using one glove model across the whole plant simplified the procurement process and on-site safety instructions are now much easier to understand. There is virtually no risk of workers choosing the wrong glove for the task.

Operations Leader Daryl Perrett explained that Ansell specialists visited the plant to help identify and monitor areas where injuries were occurring, and where the laceration risks were highest, or not fully understood by floor staff.

“The cut resistance of the 70-761 glove and its Kevlar component are perfect for protecting our workers from everyday cut risks,” said Perrett. “And as they are heat resistant too, our workers are now also protected against heat injuries, light molten splashes, welding and sharp tools.”

This combined effort from Ansell and Backwell IXL has led to a significant reduction in cut injuries at the busy manufacturing plant over the last five years. “Too often it’s a serious accident or near-miss that drives significant safety improvement. But as our experience shows, safety initiatives often bring about other unexpected benefits, such as productivity and cost-efficiency gains,” adds Perrett.