SafeWork SA issues alert regarding the risks associated with nail guns in light of injury involving apprentice

SafeWork SA Issues Alert Regarding the Risks Associated with Nail Guns in Light of Injury Involving Apprentice

SafeWork SA has issued a safety alert following the hospitalisation of a fourth-year carpentry apprentice who unintentionally discharged a nail gun into their thigh. The incident highlights ongoing risk in construction settings where hazardous plant is used without adequate oversight.

The incident happened at Tonsley in early June. This apprentice was hospitalised overnight and required surgical intervention to remove the embedded nail from their thigh.

A Pattern of Nail Gun Injuries in Construction

This was the third instance of a nail gun injury involving an apprentice reported to SafeWork SA during the 2023/24 financial year. Previous incidents associated with this type of plant included two fingertip amputations and eight serious lacerations, underscoring how hazardous nail guns can be when safe operating procedures aren't followed.

These recurring incidents demonstrate why construction employers must treat nail guns as high-risk plant requiring rigorous controls, not routine tools used casually on site.

SafeWork SA's Warning to Employers

SafeWork urges all Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) to closely monitor apprentices and guarantee they receive appropriate training and information for safe operation of nail guns. Apprentices, given their limited experience with construction plant, remain particularly vulnerable to these types of injuries.

Employers should consider the following steps to reduce risk on construction sites:

• Provide documented training before apprentices operate any nail gun or comparable plant
• Supervise inexperienced workers closely during early stages of plant use
• Maintain nail guns and other plant according to manufacturer specifications
• Ensure emergency procedures are clearly communicated in case of injury
• Review incident history regularly to identify emerging hazardous trends

Businesses seeking guidance on managing plant-related risk can review SafeWork SA's Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice, which outlines obligations for controlling hazardous plant across construction and other industries.

Why This Warning from SafeWork SA Matters

This warning from SafeWork SA reinforces a broader message for construction businesses: injuries involving apprentices and plant are preventable through consistent training and supervision. Similar alerts, including SafeWork SA's carbon monoxide safety alert and warning concerning roll-away vehicles, point to a pattern of preventable incidents across South Australian worksites.

Organisations managing public-facing construction sites should also review resources such as the Construction Sites – Dealing with the Public SWMS, which supports safe planning around plant use near pedestrians and visitors.

Further resources on managing workplace hazards, including WorkSafe's guidance on asbestos-related risks, reinforce why proactive hazard identification remains essential across all forms of construction plant and equipment.

Additional information from SafeWork SA is available here.