Nail Gun Safety

Worried about making sure you operate your nail gun safely? Nail gun mistakes cause accidents every day, so it is extremely important to understand exactly what you need to do in order to make sure that you don't injure yourself or someone else while use your gun. Read on for some simple steps you can take to make sure that you are operating your nail gun safely.

Read The Manual

One of the simplest and most effective steps you can take to make sure you are using your nail gun safely is simply reading the manual. Having a complete understanding of how your gun is loaded and unloaded and exactly how it works is an important step in making sure you can use it safely.

Know How Your Nail Gun Fires

There are two different methods that common nail guns use to fire. The "sequential" method requires the trigger to be pulled and then the nail gun's nose to be depressed in order for the gun to fire once. Every time you want to fire this type of gun, you need to pull the trigger again. The "contact" method allows you to hold down the trigger for an extended period of time and fire a nail every time you depress the nose. While this method allows you to move faster when nailing a flat surface, there is the potential to set off the gun by simply bumping the nose into a limb or person while you have the trigger held down. Understanding exactly how your specific nail gun fires is essential to knowing when it may fire unintentionally.

Wear Protective Gear

When you use a nail gun, you should always use safety goggles with protective side shields. Every time a nail gun fires into wood, there is a potential for that wood to throw splinters and chunks of wood into your eyes or face. Wearing the right protective gear will make sure that you are protected when this happens. Wood splinters frequently, so never skip the protective gear when using a nail gun.

Check Before You Nail

One hazard of using a nail gun is accidentally firing into something hard enough to cause the nail to ricochet. Make sure that any surface you are attempting to nail is free of loose material. The wood should also be clear of any staples or old nails before you fire. Check the area around the wood for any loose electrical wires or other potential hazards to make sure that you don't accidentally drive a nail into something dangerous.

Stay Aware Of People Around You

According to the OSHA guidelines for nail gun use, one of the most common injuries that happen with nail guns is people firing straight through the surface they are trying to nail and hitting someone on the other side. Always make sure there is no one in the line of fire of your nail gun, and never point it at another person for any reason. Never have another person hold something you want to nail in front of them, and always make sure that the area in front of the nail gun is clear of limbs and people.