01
Find the Hand
Observe the complete task. Where does the hand enter, approach or remain in the working area?
Hand Safety First
Begin with exposure. Engineer the response.
The Human Hand Is Not a Tool™
The hand has no rated working load.
A hand can become the guide, clamp, stop, alignment aid or retrieval interface. Identify that function before choosing a control.
Gloves can reduce some consequences. They do not remove a hand from a pinch point, a closing clearance or a moving load path.
Find The Hand
02
Ask Why
Identify its function: guiding, holding, aligning, positioning, steadying, retrieving, pushing, pulling or striking.
03
Identify Exposure
Could something move, shift, drop, close, rotate, release, pinch, crush, cut or strike while the hand is there?
04
Engineer the Hand Out
Change the task or move the function through a suitable fixture, process, remote interface or tool.
The Last 300 mm Rule™
Observe the final approach, placement and fine corrections. Who controls the movement as clearances close, and why is the hand entering?
This is a task-phase lens, not a prescribed stand-off distance. The actual transition depends on geometry, energy and the operation.
The Hand Exposure Hierarchy™
1
Eliminate
Remove the hand-entry event through task redesign.
2
Substitute
Change the process, sequence or energy to reduce exposure.
3
Engineer
Move the required function outside the exposure zone through an interface.
4
Administrate
Control access, conditions, frequency and duration. Instructions alone do not remove exposure.
5
PPE
Provide protection for residual hazards after other controls are considered.
Observe. Measure. Verify.
A deeper Hand Exposure Audit™ follows Find, Classify, Energy, Measure, Engineer and Verify. Assess proximity, duration, frequency and variability — then observe whether the change actually moves the hand out.
Start with your task
Show us where the hand is needed.
Share the task, the hand function and the movement. We can review the application and discuss a suitable next step.
Request an application review