HHS HealthBeat (July 17, 2007)

Nailed

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Nail guns can do a fine job, but they’re not particular about what – or who – they nail. If you’re handling one, it could be you.

A study says nail gun injuries seen in emergency rooms more than tripled between 1991 and 2005.  Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at Duke University nailed that. Their report is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Duke University’s Heather Lipscomb:

``Hands or feet that are too close to where nailing is being done is one way that injuries can occur. Improper use – disabling safety features – are other factors that can result in injuries.’’  (11 seconds)

Lipscomb says safer guns make you touch the muzzle to the board before you pull the trigger -- and that beats a gun that lets you hold down the trigger and fires when the muzzle touches something

Learn more at hhs.gov.

Last revised: September, 17 2007