Much talk has been going on in the construction industry about the hazards posed by nail guns to workers. The Bee has been publishing a series of articles about this topic in recent months. As a result, OSHA’s Department of Industrial Relations’ Division called for a meeting with construction industry officials at its headquarters in Oakland . They reviewed the state regulations covering nail guns and discussed how much they are protecting workers on the job.

Untold Stories of Injuries

The Bee’s articles explained how many workers on the job were injured or killed by nail guns. Some employees who were interviewed related how they accidentally hit themselves with nail guns and managed to have themselves treated in hospitals without ever telling their employers about their injuries. Most of them chose not to report their injuries because they didn’t want to miss a day of work.

They also shared how employees in the roofing trade are paid a piece rate so they have to work fast on the job. This results to higher risk of injuries caused by nail guns.

Other workers even alter their guns so they can work faster. A carpenter shared how some co-workers removed the safety springs from their guns so they could work faster.

It’s All in the Trigger

Cal-OSHA has made attempts before to push for greater use of a technology called the sequential nail gun. This nail gun only fires when it is pressed on the target and the trigger is pulled.

Some industry groups, though, were against this proposal. They argued that the technology made nail guns slower. They even said that the issue of nail guns causing injuries and fatalities is exaggerated.

The discussion last week among California regulators and industry officials dealt with research about nail guns and injuries they caused. According to The Bee, most nail gun injuries are caused by contact trip guns.

Workers use this kind of nail gun by holding down the trigger and shooting nails by bumping the muzzle on a surface. Accidental firings are likely to happen with this tool because workers often carry it by the trigger and accidentally bump themselves or co-workers.

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