Nail guns trigger a growing number of visits to the ER

With its ability to shoot nail after nail at speeds approaching 500 feet per second, a nail gun should be treated like any deadly weapon. And with more and more homeowners arming themselves to attempt their own repairs, too many of those nails are ending up in the heads, hands or necks of the worker—or someone nearby.

The number of people with nail gun injuries who sought treatment in hospital emergency rooms increased from 12,000 to 42,000 between 1995 and 2005, according to one study based on data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Do-it-yourselfers account for many of those injuries but 20,000 pros are injured each year, says the National Association of Home Builders.

To reduce the number of injuries, the NAHB has developed a new Nail Gun Safety Card printed in both English and Spanish. Most importantly, learn how the nail gun operates before starting a task.

Nail guns have one of two types of trigger systems and the user should understand the trigger-mechanism for the make and model of the gun they own, says the NAHB. With the sequential trigger system, the user presses the nose of the gun against the nailing surface and then pulls the trigger. With a contact tripper system, however, you pull the trigger and keep it depressed and then "bump fire" the nails by pressing the nose into the surface. Getting the two methods mixed up can have unwanted results. Here's what else the NAHB recommends:

• Be sure you are trained in the safe use of nailers, and read and understand the manufacturer's instructions and tool labels prior to using one.


• Always wear safety glasses with side shields that meet American National Standards Institute requirements as well as appropriate hearing protection.


• Never drive fasteners toward yourself or others in the work area.


• Never carry a nailer with your finger on the trigger, or move the tool by using the hose.


• Always disconnect the air supply when not using the tool, and when clearing jams.


• Ensure the tool has not been modified, guards are in place, and that it operates properly.


• Always assume the tool is loaded and has the potential to discharge fasteners.

—Mary H.J. Farrell