An oilfield worker’s job depends on their ability to use their hands. Any sort of hand injury could result in a worker having to miss valuable time from the job. An extremely serious hand injury could permanently prevent an oilfield worker from being able to work at all.
But there are precautions that may help prevent hand injuries. The Texas Department of Insurance website has posted a document with useful tips on how to protect your hands. Here are a few of their recommendations:
- Remove all jewelry that could get caught up in tools or machinery. This includes rings, watches and necklaces.
- Wear the proper protective equipment. For example, canvas or cotton gloves are good for regular tasks and steel mesh gloves should be used when doing cutting work.
- Avoid wearing loose fitting clothes. Keep your shirts buttoned and tucked in. When wearing coveralls, zip up the pant legs.
- To ensure that it is in safe operating condition, perform an inspection of equipment before and after use.
This list is far from exhaustive and the online document offers more good recommendations.
You owe it to yourself to be cautious when operating tools and machines. One slip and you could lose a finger or wind up in a cast. You could even suffer a permanent disability. But while you need to be responsible while at a job site, so too does the company for which you work. All machinery and tools should be regularly inspected. Employers should never place an employee in harm’s way by forcing them to work with equipment that is not in safe working condition.
If you are injured while working in an oil extracting environment, you might benefit from having a Texas personal injury attorney help you handle your compensation claim. The attorney may be able to see that you receive the level payment you need to cover your expenses.