Finger trap accidents- risks and prevention

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Did you know that a closing door can exert up to 40 tons per square inch of pressure at its hinge side? What this really means is that anything present along the opening between door hinges will be crushed with a pressure equivalent to foot pressure generated by 40 adult elephants! Just imagine a child’s tiny little fingers stuck there. Well, realistically, fingers caught in a closing door will mostly only suffer minor bruises and cuts, but the stress exerted is actually enough to severely crush and break the fingers, as well as detach them entirely.

Regardless of how appalling and alarming this may look to be, finger injuries that occur as a result of being caught between the hinges of a closing door are not few and far between. As a matter of fact, door-related finger injuries number in at about 300,000 every year – and more or less 15% of these injuries involve children under the age of fourteen. Another reason why you should be worried about finger trap injuries is that the treatment costs for such injuries are often astronomical.

So, what can be done in order to prevent such injuries?

There are certain safety protocols that schools and day care centres can act in accordance with in order to avoid finger trap injuries. They should make it a point to have small children seated away from doors during activities as the opening between the door and its frame is an inviting place for tiny fingers; the children should also be lined up on the handle side of the door so that their hands are at a safe distance from the door hinges and the staff members must also be well-educated regarding the facts and prevention practices for a finger trap injury. But perhaps the most effective method to put a stop to finger trap injuries is installing door finger protectors on the doors. These safety products will substantially take the edge off the potential for a severe finger injury. Not to mention, these products are quite affordable and pretty easy to install, too.

A door-related finger accident can be a potentially life-altering event. The cost to install a door finger protector and other related safety products is nickel-and-dimed when weighed up against the safety and protection of tiny fingers that come in contact with doors each and every day.