4/15/2007

Yes, honey, I can fix that ...

According to a report from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during 1991-2005, the annual consumer nail-gun injuries have increased approximately 200%. In 2005, hospital emergency departments treated nail-gun injuries were approximately 300% higher than in 1991. Note that for professional construction or repair workers, the injury number remained steady during the same period.
This increase likely corresponds to an increase in availability during the 1990s of inexpensive pneumatic nail guns and air compressors (used to power the nail guns) in home hardware stores, along with the US housing boom in the same time.
Next time when you hear "yes, honey, I can fix that", please include the potential medical cost in the budget.

4 comments:

MSU gal said...

I don't believe the increase corresponds to power nail gun availability..I believe it directly corresponds to the popularity of such TV programs as Trading Spaces or Do it Yourself or Extreme Home Makover...yeah it's that Ty Pennington's fault!
:)

China valve said...

hello``````
well done
good luck to you!

Bilbo said...

I don't know that nail guns are such a problem. Over time, I've probably done as much damage to my fingers and toes by smashing them with hammers as I would have had I shot myself with a nail gun. If you're an inept handyman, power tools just help you be inept faster and more easily. Believe me, I'm the poster child for this one!

John A Hill said...

I don't know if it's because I'm lazier than I used to be, smarter than I used to be or maybe I just have a little more disposable income--but my attitude today is, "They pay me good money to do well the job that I know how to do. I ought to be willing to pay somebody else to do the job that they know how to do!"

No nail guns at my house!