Use Nail Gun Safely

Never use a nail gun with the nose guard safety spring missing. These three injury reports described the details of accidents caused by removing the nose guard safety spring.  One injury resulted in an employee shooting himself through the thigh. The nail was a Ring Shank and it embedded itself in the employee's femur (large thighbone) which was shattered by the impact. Surgery was required to remove the nail.

Another case involved an employee who shot himself in the groin area.  In the third case, an employee injected a nail into the fleshy part of his thigh.  In all three accidents, removal of the nail gun safety spring, which holds the nose guard in the extended position, allowed the gun to discharge when the trigger was depressed because the nose guard was easily slid back when the gun was placed against the worker. Depressing the nose guard is like cocking a gun.  Pulling the trigger with the gun "cocked" will fire it.  A nail gun is not designed for rapid fire. Trying to alter the rate of fire by removing the safety spring or keeping the trigger depressed will eventually end up in a jammed gun, or worse yet, an accident.

Be sure that when you carry a nail gun, you do not carry it connected to the electrical or air power source.  When you are moving about - keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.  Make sure you have only placed the nose guard against the material you are going to nail together.