Construction Safety & Health
Division
Dangers of Pneumatic Nail Guns With Contact Trip Triggers
Dangers of Pneumatic Nail Guns With Contact Trip Triggers
In February
2013, MIOSHA investigated a fatality that occurred at a residential jobsite
where a carpenter was framing a wall and ended up shooting himself in the face
with a 3 inch nail from a pneumatic nail gun. The carpenter was in an
awkward position and using his non-dominant hand to operate the nail gun.
The gun appeared to have “double fired” which knocked the carpenter off
balance. The tip of the nail gun contacted
his face near the eye area and another nail fired into his head which lodged in
his brain. The victim was not wearing eye protection or head protection
which may have prevented the nail from entering the victim’s face.
Pneumatic nail
gun injuries are very common in the residential construction industry; responsible
for nearly 40,000 visits to emergency room each year. Most nail gun injuries occur when the gun is
equipped with a contact tip trigger. Contact tip triggers allow the gun
to discharge a nail anytime the gun’s nose piece and the trigger are
pressed. The user can hold the trigger down and bump fire the gun repeatedly by simply pushing down on the nose
piece. Carpenters prefer using contact
tip triggers because they are faster.
However, these types of triggers also make it much easier for the
operator to accidently shoot themselves or anyone standing close by if the nose
piece bumps up against someone or something when the trigger is depressed. Injuries often occur when climbing up and
down ladders while having your finger on the trigger.
Nail guns with
contact tip triggers are also susceptible to double firing which is the firing of a second unwanted nail that
can ricochet off the first nail which can strike and injure anyone working in
the proximity.
Full
sequential triggers are safer! They force the operator to make two positive
actions to fire the nail gun each and every time a nail is fired. The full
sequential trigger will only fire a nail when the controls are activated in a
certain order. First, the safety contact
tip must be pushed into the work piece and then the operator squeezes the
trigger to discharge a nail. Both the
safety contact tip and the trigger must be released and activated again to fire
a second nail. The operator cannot hold
the trigger down and bump fire the nail gun. This greatly reduces the
amount of unwanted “double fires” of nails.
Most
new pneumatic nail guns come equipped with the full sequential trigger. A contact trip trigger is a separate
attachment that can replace the full sequential trigger. Employees must know and follow the safety
guidelines provided by the manufacturers of nail guns and wear the appropriate
personal protective equipment to prevent injuries.
General Safety Guidelines
for Pneumatic Nail Guns
• Review
the owner’s manual carefully with all operators.
• Observe
each employee demonstrating safe operating procedures.
• Always wear safety glasses and a hard hat!
• Do
not touch the trigger unless firing the tool against a work piece.
• Use
extreme caution when using an air tool around other workers.
• Never point the tool at anyone. Treat
the tool like a firearm and assume it is loaded.
• Disconnect
the air hose before clearing a jam or making adjustments.
• Use
manufacturer’s specified pressures for the tool.
• Keep
your free hand safely out of the way of the tool.
• Secure the hose when working on scaffolding to prevent the tool from falling.
• Secure the hose when working on scaffolding to prevent the tool from falling.
For
Additional Information
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued
a publication titled, “Nail Gun Safety:
A Guide for Construction Contractors” to help alert and provide training to
avoid hazards when using nail guns. Go to
For additional training and
assistance contact the Consultation Education and Training Division at www.michigan.gov/mioshacet or call
517-322-1809.
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