Safety Tips for Staple Guns

I will admit it right away; yes I accidentally shot myself in the hand at the hardware store with a staple gun. I am not proud of it, and I should know better, but still the fact remains that I did it. Maybe by reading this you can avoid an embarrassing snafu.

So let me set the scene, I am getting ready for a camping trip and need to pick up some supplies. I am hurriedly rushing around the hardware store (a large commercial one) to pick up odds and ends that may be useful for the trip. Our campsite needed some overhauls done and some of our tools went MIA.

Knowing that much stapling needed to be done to reattach a small barrier fence I wanted to find out which model produced the least hand fatigue, hand cramps hurt you know. So here I am in my work clothes, high heels, business suit, trying out some of the staple guns in the store. You would think since they are on display they would not be loaded, kids go in there! But alas to my surprise, some of them are!

I tried out two or three with no problems, I pulled the trigger heard a loud click and nothing happened. But the handles were a little hard to pull so I kept looking for an easier one. I needed to put in around eight or nine hundred staples. So I pick up another one, mind you still in its plastic packaging, not a display model. Here is where I made my mistake, do not point the stale gun at anything you do not intend to staple. This is also the point where I should have known better. I pulled the trigger and after the loud click was a sharp pain and blood coming from my hand. Guess what? This model comes with a free pre-loaded sleeve of staples, Lucky me !!

Thank goodness for the packaging or it would have completed the stapling (folding over the ends). I was lucky it caught on the plastic. So after some loud profanities from the aisle I walk up to complete my purchase, I figure once you bleed on something you own it. I was so embarrassed, the cashier looked at me strangely as I was purchasing the blood stained staple gun and asked how my shopping experience was. I shamefully told her what I had done, only so they could make note of it so children wouldn't get hurt since apparently idiotic adults had managed to do the same thing mere moments before.

So note to self, assume all items in the hardware store are loaded and ready to go. My husband and family got a good laugh out of it and the only thing seriously hurt was my pride.