Standard Work Procedures

It is important for employers to develop and enforce their own nail gun policies and procedures that address risk factors and make the workplace as safe as possible. We will address some common and effective policies in the next few slides.

Manuals and Labeling

• Ensure that the manuals for all nail guns in use are always readily available on the jobsite.
• Ensure that workers understand and follow all manufacturer labels and instructions.

Maintenance

• Check tools and power sources before operation to ensure they are in proper working order. Remove malfunctioning nail guns from service immediately.
• Always disconnect the gun from the air hose before performing maintenance; air pressure can remain in a pinched hose.
• Understand the maximum recommended air pressure for the tool you are using, and never allow air pressure to exceed that maximum.

Working from Heights

• Make an effort to minimize the need for nailing at height.
• Consider using scaffolding instead of ladders.
• Use full sequential trigger nailers when work from a ladder is necessary. This will prevent injuries occurring from bumping a leg while climbing the ladder.
• Position ladders so that you do not have to reach too far. Your belt buckle should stay between the side rails when reaching to the side.
• Always maintain three points of contact with the ladder. This means that clamps may need to be used for placement work.

Worker Positioning

• Set up operations in a way that workers are not in the line of fire from nail guns being used by coworkers.
• For placement work, keep hands at least one foot (12 inches) away from the nailing point. Consider using clamps to brace instead of your hands.
• Always shoot nail guns away from your body and away from coworkers.
• Never operate a nail gun with your non-dominant hand.
• Use a hammer if you cannot reach the work while holding the nail gun with your dominant hand.
• Use a hammer or reposition yourself for work that is level with your face or head. At this level, recoil is more difficult to control and can be dangerous.
• Use a hammer or a full sequential trigger when working in tight spaces. Recoil is difficult to control and double fires are more likely in these spaces.
• Take extra care with toe-nailing. Use a nail gun with teeth on the safety contact to prevent the nailer from slipping during use.
• Never walk backwards when working with or around nail guns.

Correct Use of Equipment

• Use a hammer or positive placement nailer when working with metal joinery or irregular lumber.
• Always disconnect the compressed air when:
  • Leaving a nailer unattended
  • Traveling up and down a ladder or stairs
  • Passing the nail gun to a coworker
  • Clearing jammed nails
  • Performing maintenance on the nail gun
• Never bypass or disable nail gun safety features.
• Keep your fingers off the trigger while holding or carrying a nail gun. If this feels too unnatural, use a full sequential nail gun or set the nailer down until you are ready to use it again.
• Never lower the nail gun from above or drag it by the hose.
• If the nail gun hose gets caught, never pull on the hose; go find the problem and release the hose.
• Never use bottled gas to power air-powered nail guns.

Other Guidelines

• Check lumber surfaces for anything that could cause recoil or ricochet (such as knots, nails, or straps) before nailing.
• Always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.

To learn more about Nail Gun Safety visit our Construction Nail Gun Safety Online Training web page.