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Nail Gun Prevention

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The most effective way to prevent nail gun injuries is to limit the nail gun’s ability to fire which will prevent accidental discharges. One design feature used is the contact safety tip. The safety tip prevents the nail gun from firing unless the tip is compressed. Nail guns have three different firing mechanisms: full sequential, single sequential and single actuation.
Full sequential is the most restrictive mechanism and requires the user to first compress the safety tip against a solid surface and then press the trigger to fire. The user must then remove the tip and release the trigger for every nail fired. By requiring the user to follow a specific order and requiring the user to release before firing again, the nail gun is less likely to accidentally discharge. …show more content…

This allows the nail to fire multiple times in a single location.
Single actuation requires the user to compress the tip and the trigger but does not require a specific order. This allows the user to bump fire, which according to Osha.gov “is using a nail gun with a contact trigger held squeezed and bumping or bouncing the tool along the workpiece to fire nails.” (Department of Labor) However, single actuation holds the greatest risk of accidentally firing since recoil can bounce the gun before the worker can release the trigger and fire a second nail.
Along with the nail gun itself, safety features on the air compressor reduce the risk of injuries from nail guns. The use of a ball valve allows a worker to quickly shut off the air supply in case of damage to the air hose. Gauges allow the worker to see the air pressure of the compressor before use and prevents the release of an unknown pressure into the air

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