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Hand Safety: General Safe Work Practices

26 minutesEN / ES / MLCCSafety Training29 CFR 1910.138 - Hand Protection; 29 CFR 1910.132 - PPE General Requirements
Quick Answer

Hand Safety: General Safe Work Practices is a 26-minute online course that trains employees on identifying hand and wrist hazards, selecting proper hand protection, and following safe work practices to prevent workplace hand injuries. It is designed for workers in manufacturing, construction, maintenance, and any industry where hand injuries are a risk and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Hands and fingers are involved in more workplace injuries than any other body part. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hand injuries account for nearly one-third of all nonfatal workplace injuries involving days away from work, with lacerations, fractures, crushing injuries, and amputations among the most common outcomes. OSHA reported over 3,000 workplace amputations in a single recent reporting year, and hands and fingers were the body parts most frequently affected. The average workers' compensation claim for a hand injury exceeds $7,000, and severe injuries can cost employers tens of thousands of dollars in direct and indirect costs.

This course trains your employees to identify the hazards that put their hands, wrists, and fingers at risk and to apply practical prevention strategies. Your team will learn about the types of hand hazards present in the workplace - including mechanical, thermal, chemical, and ergonomic risks - and how to select and use the right hand protection for each task. The course covers proper glove selection, tool handling techniques, machine guarding awareness, and the ergonomic practices that reduce repetitive strain injuries.

What You'll Learn

  • Types of workplace hand hazards: mechanical, chemical, thermal, and ergonomic
  • OSHA PPE requirements for hand protection under 29 CFR 1910.138
  • Proper glove selection based on hazard type and task requirements
  • Safe tool handling practices to prevent cuts, punctures, and crushing injuries
  • Machine guarding awareness and point-of-operation hazards
  • Ergonomic practices to reduce repetitive strain and carpal tunnel risk
  • First aid response for common hand injuries including lacerations and chemical burns

Who Needs This Training

  • Manufacturing and assembly line workers handling parts, tools, and machinery
  • Construction workers using hand and power tools on the jobsite
  • Maintenance technicians performing repair work on equipment and systems
  • Warehouse workers handling materials, pallets, and packaging
  • Laboratory personnel working with chemicals, glassware, and sharp instruments
  • Supervisors responsible for PPE selection and enforcement in their work areas

Regulatory Background

OSHA regulates hand protection primarily through 29 CFR 1910.138, which requires employers to select and provide appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes. The broader PPE standard at 29 CFR 1910.132 requires employers to conduct a hazard assessment to determine what protective equipment is needed. Machine guarding under 29 CFR 1910.212 - which ranked 10th on OSHA's FY 2025 Top 10 Most Cited Violations list with 1,239 citations - directly protects workers' hands from point-of-operation hazards on machinery. Serious violations of PPE and machine guarding standards can result in penalties of up to $16,550 per citation, and willful violations can reach $165,514. Employers must train employees on proper PPE use, care, and limitations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Under 29 CFR 1910.132(d), employers must conduct a workplace hazard assessment to identify hazards that require hand protection. The assessment must evaluate potential sources of injury including sharp edges, chemicals, extreme temperatures, and mechanical hazards. Based on the assessment, employers must select hand protection that addresses the specific hazards identified and certify in writing that the assessment has been performed.
Glove selection depends on the specific hazard present. Cut-resistant gloves rated with ANSI/ISEA 105 levels are appropriate for handling sharp materials. Chemical-resistant gloves must be matched to the specific chemicals being handled using the manufacturer's chemical resistance guide. Heat-resistant gloves are needed for thermal hazards, and impact-resistant gloves protect against crushing and pinch-point injuries. No single glove protects against all hazards.
The leading causes include contact with machinery and moving parts (particularly unguarded points of operation), use of hand and power tools, handling sharp materials such as sheet metal and glass, exposure to chemicals, and repetitive motion tasks. Failure to wear appropriate hand protection, using damaged or worn gloves, and removing machine guards are frequent contributing factors in hand injury incidents.
Machine guarding under 29 CFR 1910.212 is one of the primary engineering controls for protecting workers' hands. Point-of-operation guards prevent hands from entering the danger zone where cutting, shearing, or crushing occurs. Machine guarding was the 10th most-cited OSHA violation in FY 2025 with 1,239 citations, indicating that many employers still have gaps in their guarding programs. Employees should never remove or bypass machine guards.
Yes. Under 29 CFR 1910.132(h), employers must provide required PPE, including hand protection, at no cost to employees. This applies to all hand protection that the employer requires employees to use based on the workplace hazard assessment. Employers are not required to pay for everyday clothing, such as ordinary work gloves used for general comfort rather than hazard protection.
$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

$29.95
per person