How often do workers injure their hands in Dallas?

Around 1,800 workers injure their hands in Dallas per year.  This is derived from the number of workers that injure their hands in the United States per year.  Hand injuries are likely to be even more common in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex, as many suburbs have significant manufacturing including Duncanville, Desoto, Lancaster, Mesquite, Garland, and Arlington.  

How many hand injuries at work every year in the United States?

According to the US Department of Labor, around 23% of all work-related injuries involve the hands or fingers in the United States annually.  This accounts for roughly 100,000 hand injuries in workers per year.  

Does wearing gloves help prevent severe injuries to the hand? 

Gloves do help prevent and lessen injury however, wearing the right gloves for the job is important.  70% of work-related hand injuries occurred when the worker was not wearing gloves. Although 30% of workers wore gloves at the time of injury, the gloves were often inadequate for their work. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recommends that all employees should obtain hand protection when they are exposed to chemicals, saws, knives, and hot temperatures. This can help decrease the chance of lacerations, puncture wounds, abrasions, chemical burns, thermal burns, and fractures. 

What is the typical amount of time a worker will be off work if they get injured?

Usually, a worker with a hand injury will return to work in less than one to two weeks to return to light duties.  This can vary depending on the injury. Some patients can return to work within a few weeks after they recover from surgery. However, other patients may require more time off, even several months to rehab and regain the strength of their hands.  More time off is typical of severe hand injuries.  

When a worker injures their hands, how often do they need surgery?

Most hand fractures, nailbed injuries, lacerations, puncture wounds, abrasions, amputations, and crush injuries will require surgical repair in workers. Surgery is especially considered when the injury affects the function and strength of the hand.  Manufacturing and work-related injuries are usually more severe than injuries that occur at home because commercial machinery and equipment are usually more substantial than what would be available at a patient’s home.  

If you have injured your hand or body at work contact Dr. Azouz in Dallas at 972-702-8888.