Many workers have to operate heavy machinery. For instance, car parts are often molded using hydraulic presses. Workers have to activate the press after the sheet of metal has been put in place. A worker may be responsible for simply making hundreds of the exact same parts over the week, which will then be used in an assembly line to construct new vehicles.
This heavy machinery can be very dangerous, resulting in life-altering injuries for workers. One safety device that is often implemented is a two-hand control system. Why is this so helpful?
Preventing amputation injuries
The goal of two-hand controls is to keep the operator’s hands away from the main operation of the machine. In the aforementioned example of a hydraulic press, this would be the area where the press comes together. It does so with tens of thousands of pounds worth of force, which could instantly cause a crush injury for a worker. This is a severe amputation injury with a lower chance of healing and recovery.
Before these two-hand control systems were set up, workers would often get injured because they were in a hurry, they had grown complacent or they simply got distracted on the job. A worker could theoretically have used the press correctly for years, but it only takes one mistake to cause a devastating injury. By using a two-hand control device, the machine itself ensures that this type of injury is impossible. The press cannot activate until both hands are in a safe position.
Unfortunately, the above describes just one of the many risks that workers face, so injuries are still common. Those who have been hurt on the job need to know how to seek workers’ comp benefits.
