If you work in an industrial setting, you owe it to yourself to protect your hands, and those of your employees. After all, if your employees injure their hands, they're going to be out of work for quite a while – maybe permanently. The human hand contains 27 bones, with eight of them in the wrist alone. That's 54 bones that could be broken or crushed during a typical workday. Not to mention all the nerves, muscles and tendons that are at risk, as well. Here are four things to assess when determining the need for hand protection in the workplace.

Assess Possible Injury Concerns

When it comes to protecting hands from workplace injuries, it's crucial that you assess the types of injury concerns that exist. Each workplace will have specific injuries that employees are at risk for. Some of those injuries include bruises, burns, cuts, punctures, and amputations. Your employees hands should be protected against all possible injuries.

Ensure Proper Training

If you haven't provided your employees with proper safety training, now's the time to do that. Proper safety training reduces the risk of workplace injuries, especially those related to the hands. For maximum safety, all new hires should be trained prior to working with any equipment. In addition, you should schedule refresher course training several times a year. Not only will your workplace be safer, but your insurance rates will go down, as well. As a word of caution, it's also important that your equipment be safety tested at least twice a year.

Provide the Right Gloves

Where hands are concerned, you need to provide your employees with the right gloves. Metacarpal impact gloves are the best ones for industrial settings. These gloves provide padded protection for the hands and wrists – including both the top of the hands and the palms. They also provided molded protection for the knuckle area. The tough plastic coating also provides protection against abrasions and burns. In addition, coated metacarpal impact gloves ensure proper gripping power for hand operated equipment such as jackhammers. When choosing impact gloves, be sure to go with those that are the most comfortable to wear. Your employees are more likely to keep them on if they're not rigid or constrictive. To ensure proper fit, your employees should be able to pick up a small piece of equipment without removing their gloves.

Don't take chances with your workers hands. Use the tips provided here to protect their hands and avoid workplace injuries.