(the other major hazard is falling off a ladder and having a cubic foot of photos land on your head)

[sofiaviolet]

I have to say, the biggest hazard of my job may be literal death by a thousand paper cuts.

I'm at the point now where I don't stop working unless the cut is threatening to bleed on the materials (preservation and sanitation issues!). And I should really stop putting bandaids on even the bleeders, due to the positioning.

Basically, because I spend so much of my time plunging my hands into boxes of upright folders and papers, I get a lot of paper cuts near the bottom of my fingernails (I also get them on my knuckles with some regularity, and I have one that is very nearly under my fingernail right now, rendering my left pinky useless for typing due to ouch). Bandaids get in the way pretty badly. And I'm apparently incapable of applying them competently: I just took off the bandaid from earlier today, and there's a band of white, wrinkled skin because I wrapped my finger too tight.

And the sad thing is, that's not even the worst thing I've done when bandaging my fingertips. I once left an overly tight bandaid on over night, and the next morning my fingertip was slightly maroon on the end. :(

Comments

[contrarywise]

This may be one of those tasks that is conducive to the old-fashioned wearing of thin cotton gloves, if you can find a pair that fits you. Gloves have gotta be easier to deal with than Bandaids, srsly.

[staranise]

Yeah, that's what I was about to say. Woven cotton really is the fabric of choice for it.

[sofiaviolet]

We have a supply of gloves, but they are kind of ill-fitting and intended for use with photographic materials and other such Do Not Touch items. :\

I can significantly reduce the incidence of papercuts and catching my cuticles on folder edges, by keeping my hands decently moisturized.

[cleverthylacine]

This is a job for latex or nitrile examination gloves with maybe a touch of cheap lube--it's not going on mucous membranes, so you don't have to consider whether or not glycerin contributes to yeast growth in your system--on each fingertip so you can feel what you are doing. That's what I'd be doing if I had to stick my hands in boxes of upright folders and uncollated paper a lot. Cotton gloves inhibit your ability to feel what you're doing (which means you're more likely to injure yourself if there are loose staples or other metal bits in there, even though you'd avoid paper cuts).

The advantage of exam gloves is that they're relatively cheap, so you don't have to keep reusing them if they get torn.

[almostleia]

I've just gotten back to the wonderful world of paper-moving, and am trying to get by with just antibiotic painkiller goo and holding tissues to the bloody ones 'til they stop due to having the same problem with bandaids. I'd love to find a better solution that I can still type with.

[sofiaviolet]

Meh. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that most of my bleed-y papercuts quit bleeding very quickly. It's less that I will bleed on the documents in front of me and more if I try to put this folder away, I may bleed on something in the box.

And the bandaids wouldn't be so bad except that we only have the "standard" size, which are way too big for this application. Maybe I will buy us a communal box of tiny bandaids.

[instantramen]

See, at first I was cringing at the thought of all those paper cuts, but then the part where you somehow manage to suck at band-aids totally distracted me. Have you tried the kind that are specially shaped for fingertips and knuckles?

[sofiaviolet]

I haven't, because we only have one kind of bandaid at work. I should really buy a box of more helpful bandaids and make them available.

[(Anonymous)]

i totally recommend using rubber things for your fingers. they help you move pages without having to lick your hands which helps and also protect agaisnt paper cuts. i used to basically be touching papers all day and had the same problem

[(Anonymous)]

the last comment was mine btw

-emilia

[sofiaviolet]

How well do the rubber tips stay on? I think they would work most of the time, but I have to reach all the way to the bottom of full boxes sometimes.

[havocthecat]

As weird as it may look, maybe a pair of latex or neoprene gloves would help with the paper cuts? Before my company went as paperless as a law firm can get, I did a lot of filing for work. I was very close to buying a box of gloves, I got that many paper cuts.

[sofiaviolet]

My mother suggested that in email, actually. We have some... idk, but I think they're nitrile? gloves, but I forgot to bring them to work this morning. *sigh*

[cleverthylacine]

That should work.

[sporky_rat]

There's also liquid bandaid, if you're okay with the 'ooo' for the couple of seconds of sting.

[bookofcalm]

Ugh, yeah, I only did one small collection and there was a period of about two months last year where my hands were just constantly wrecked. Papercuts, hardcore dryness, edges of my fingers splitting, cuticles getting shoved everywhere . . . Okay, fine, some of that still happens, but not as badly! The smaller bandaids can be good for a little while, you just have to remember to change them or dry them really if you get your hands wet. But they do kind of get in the way. I love liquid bandage stuff. It looks like you've gotten superglue or clear nailpolish on you. Definitely seconding the special knuckle and fingertip bandaids, which might not be great for your fingers but might be knuckle useful.

You might want to ask what sort of gloves they'd let you wear around the collections? Frankly, gloves are a pain in the ass anyway, but they might be good just for when you're reaching in.