Nail guns are favored for their efficiency and convenience, but they're also sending users to the emergency room. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37,000 people each year are treated for nail-gun injuries, with foot and hand punctures being the most common. A study of residential carpenters in St. Louis found that two of every five sustain a nail-gun injury during their four years of training.
While construction workers account for just over half of these injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) believes building-trade guidance in the use of nail guns is overdue.