When you work in the construction industry, nail guns are a part of your everyday life. Not only can a nail gun help boost productivity, but it can make your job simpler. However, nail guns are also extremely dangerous and could end up causing a severe injury.

Nail Gun Roofing Safety Tips

As many as 37,000 people go to the emergency room because of an injury from a nail gun. Many apprentices end up getting injured during their four years of training, some more than once. Depending on what type of nail gun you are using, the risk of injury could be even higher than originally thought. To help keep you safe on the job, here are a few safety tips you might want to look into following on a consistent basis.

1. Make Sure You Are Using The Full Sequential Trigger

The safest mechanism for anyone who uses a nail gun is the full sequential trigger. This particular type of trigger helps minimize the chance of your nail gun discharging on you. Accidental discharges often happen when one worker bumps into another one on the job site. With this particular trigger in place, you can make sure both you and your co-workers are safe and secure when working with nail guns. When you consider the fact that one out of every ten injuries happen when someone bumps into their co-worker, it makes sense that you want to do everything you can to keep everyone safe when roofing a home.

2. Training Is Crucial

Regardless of whether you have been using a nail gun for years or this is your first time doing so, everyone can benefit from additional training on how to safely use nail guns. Training should include information about :

  • how the nail gun works
  • how the triggers are different
  • the main types of injuries these tools could cause
  • how to load the nail gun
  • how to use the compressor
  • how to fire the gun
  • how to handle awkward positions and much more

The more information you can equip yourself with, the better it is going to be for you in the end.

3. Have Proper Nail Gun Procedures

Any contractor needs to have set work procedures and rules in place to address any risk factors and ensure everyone knows how to safely use nail guns while roofing. Contractor procedures might vary from one workplace to the next, but should include things like:

  • Check all tools and power sources to make sure everything is in good working order. If any nail guns are broken or not working properly, they need to be taken away from the job site as quickly as possible.
  • Everyone needs to understand and follow the labels and instructions as set forth by the manufacturer.
  • Tool manuals should always be available and easily accessible on the worksite.
  • Check any surfaces before nailing. If there are any knots, nails, hangers or anything else that could cause the gun to ricochet or recoil, you need to make sure everyone knows not to use the nail gun there.
  • Hands should be at least a foot away from where you are nailing. If you need to brace anything, clamps are always a better option than your hands are.
  • Avoid using the nail gun with your non-dominant hand.
  • Keep your finger off the trigger when holding the gun. You can add another layer of safety by using a full sequential trigger to minimize risk as well.

While these are only a few of the safety tips out there, plenty of others exist as well. It all boils down to knowing how to properly use, carry, and store the nail gun to keep yourself and anyone else around you safe and secure when installing a roof.