PSC Hand Safety designs and supplies engineered no-touch tools that remove hands from pinch points, crush zones and line-of-fire positions — across mining, metals processing, ports, and energy.
Engineered hand exposure reduction for mining, metals, ports, energy & heavy industry across Australia
Despite decades of safety improvement in Australian industry, hand and finger injuries remain stubbornly persistent. The data is consistent across mining, metals processing, ports and energy: the hand is still in the hazard zone.
Many industrial procedures were developed before engineering controls were standard. The hand is built into the method — not as a risk, but as the tool.
High-exposure tasks performed hundreds of times without incident create a false sense of safety. Workers optimise for speed, and proximity becomes normal.
For many positioning, guiding and seating tasks, no commercial tool has been specified or sourced. So the hand fills the gap by default.
Glove requirements are set, JSAs reference PPE, and the task is considered managed. But the hand is still in the pinch point — just gloved.
In load guiding, pipe make-up, press feeding, conveyor work, and dozens of other routine tasks, the worker's hand is not just nearby the hazard — it is performing the guidance, positioning or seating function.
The hand has become the tool. It steadies the load. It guides the rope. It holds the chisel. It aligns the flange. And while it is doing that job, it is in the line of fire.
This is not a behaviour problem. It is a design problem. The task has not been engineered to remove the hand — it has been engineered to require it.
PSC Hand Safety exists to change that. We engineer purpose-built tools that perform the guidance, positioning and seating function — so the hand no longer has to.
Under the Australian WHS legislative framework and Safe Work Australia guidance, PPE — including gloves — sits at the bottom of the Hierarchy of Controls. This is not to diminish gloves. Cut-resistant, impact-resistant, and heat-resistant gloves save hands every day.
But a glove cannot stop a severed finger from a nip point. It cannot absorb a crushing load. It cannot prevent a degloving injury. When a glove is the primary control for a pinch-point or crush-zone task, the risk has been managed on paper — not in practice. The hierarchy exists precisely because the further up the hierarchy you control, the more reliable the protection.
The WHS Regulations require that risk be managed using the most effective control practicable. PSC products operate at the Engineering Controls level — the highest practicable control for most hand-exposure tasks in resources operations.
Redesign the process so the task no longer requires any hand involvement near the hazard zone. Most effective — often not practicable for existing plant.
Use a different material, substance or process that achieves the same outcome with lower risk. Highly effective where practicable.
Guards, barriers, interlocks and physical separation that prevent access to the hazard zone during operation.
Purpose-built tools, jigs, fixtures and handling devices that perform guidance, positioning and seating functions without hand exposure. High reliability, task-integrated.
▲ PSC Hand Safety operates hereJSAs, SWMS, toolbox talks, two-person rules. Effective only to the extent that workers consistently follow them under production pressure.
Gloves reduce injury severity but do not eliminate exposure. When gloves are the primary control for a crush, nip or shear hazard, the risk is not adequately managed.
Safe Work Australia position: Risk management under the WHS legislative framework requires the most effective control that is reasonably practicable. For most hand-exposure tasks in resources operations, an engineered no-touch tool is both effective and practicable — making PPE-only approaches difficult to justify in a thorough risk assessment.
PSC analyses hand exposure across five task phases. Each phase presents distinct hand-injury risks — and each can be engineered to reduce or eliminate hand involvement.
Initial pick-up or hook-on phase. Exposure to crushing from suspended loads, drops, and swing.
Load in transit. Risk from rope tangle, swing, rigging contact, and tagline loss of control.
Load nearing its landing or seating point. Risk from hand proximity to pinch zones and moving mass.
Fine alignment of load to its intended location. Highest hand-exposure phase — fingers in pinch zones.
Load settling and making final contact. Risk from unexpected movement as load weight transfers.
The PSC Task Exposure Model™ provides a structured framework for analysing hand involvement in each phase of a load-handling, tool-use or maintenance task. By mapping the specific exposure point to the corresponding task phase, PSC engineers can recommend or design the appropriate intervention — from taglines in the MOVE phase to guide poles and custom heads in the POSITION and SEAT phases.
PSC Task Exposure Model is a PSC Hand Safety proprietary framework · sales@pschandsafety.comThe following table maps typical hand-exposure scenarios in Australian resources operations to the relevant PSC engineering control category.
| Task / Exposure Point | Injury Mechanism | Task Phase | PSC Control Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane load guiding by hand | Crush, swing, trapped fingers in rigging | MOVE → POSITION | Anti-Tangle TaglinesGuide Poles |
| Rope / wire rope handling | Anti-tangle, strand cuts, whip lash | LIFT → MOVE | LoadGuider® TaglinesSafeGuider Taglines |
| Steel plate positioning at press | Crush at die face, shear at blade | POSITION → SEAT | Push/Pull ToolsMagnetic Tools |
| Pipe and flange alignment / make-up | Pinch between flanges, trapped fingers | APPROACH → SEAT | Guide PolesCustom Hook Heads |
| Conveyor belt feeding / tracking | In-running nip, entanglement | POSITION | Push/Pull ToolsRiggerSafe Tools |
| Chisel and punch operations | Struck hand, vibration, fragmenting | POSITION → SEAT | Chisel & Punch Holders |
| Magnetic lifting / placement | Crush from sudden attachment / drop | LIFT → POSITION | Magnetic Push/Pull ToolsLoadGrab |
| Container lashing (port operations) | Trapped fingers in chain / twist-lock | APPROACH → SEAT | Custom Hook HeadsGuide Poles |
| Mining drill rod handling | Rotating component, crush, pinch | MOVE → POSITION | Anti-Tangle TaglinesCustom Interfaces |
| Stamping / forming line feeding | Die closure on fingers, feed-point nip | POSITION | Push/Pull ToolsMag Head Tools |
Every PSC product is designed around a specific hand-exposure problem. Where standard products don't fit, PSC engineers custom heads, interfaces and configurations for your task.
Premium registered tagline system engineered to prevent rope tangle, whip and wrap-around during crane operations and suspended load guiding. Keeps hands clear of ropes and rigging throughout the MOVE and APPROACH phases.
Purpose-designed tagline range for safer rope management across load-guiding tasks. Reduces the risk of rope tangle, sudden line grab and hand entanglement in wire rope and synthetic rigging applications.
Registered push/pull tool system that enables workers to position, guide and seat loads from a safe distance. Eliminates the need to place hands between load and fixed structure during the critical POSITION phase.
Integrated magnetic head and pole system for positioning ferrous materials without hand contact. Enables precise placement of steel plate, billets and components near die faces, roller tables and nip points.
Modular magnetic head attachments for pole tools, enabling tool-to-task customisation across different material shapes and sizes. Hot-swap heads allow rapid reconfiguration for different production requirements.
Ergonomic guide pole systems providing controlled standoff distance during positioning tasks. Available in fixed and telescoping lengths for different approach angles and load types across mining and port operations.
Purpose-designed hook heads, jaw attachments and custom interfaces engineered for specific task geometries. Where no standard product solves the exposure problem, PSC engineers a solution around your exact task parameters.
Engineered holder system that removes the hand from the strike zone during chiselling, punching and cold-working operations. Eliminates struck-hand injuries while maintaining tool control and work accuracy.
Rigger-specific push/pull tool system for load guiding, tag control and positioning tasks during crane operations. Provides standoff from the load without compromising the rigger's ability to direct and control movement.
Magnetic grab and positioning tool system for ferrous load control. Enables secure contact with steel components from a safe distance during placement, rotation and alignment tasks near pinch points and fixed structures.
Every hand-exposure problem is specific to the task, the geometry and the production requirement. PSC engineers review your actual task — not a generic description — and recommend or custom-design the appropriate tool.
Capture the task: A short video or photo series showing how the task is currently performed — where the hands are, what they're doing, and the hazard zone.
Send to PSC: Email your task documentation to sales@pschandsafety.com with a brief description of the operation and industry sector.
Receive your recommendation: PSC will review the task exposure, identify the phase and mechanism, and recommend the most appropriate engineered control from the PSC range — or specify a custom solution.
Our engineers will identify the hand exposure point and recommend the right PSC engineering control — at no cost to you.
sales@pschandsafety.comPSC Hand Safety products are manufactured and exported from India, with reliable freight delivery to Australian mining sites, ports, processing facilities and distribution points.
Priority and economy international freight from India, with full tracking and customs clearance support for Australian delivery.
Fast international express shipping with door-to-door delivery. Suitable for urgent orders and safety-critical supply.
Air freight consignments from Coimbatore (CPT) Airport to major Australian gateway airports and onward to site via local freight partners.