Pneumatic Nail Guns Affecting Tornado Alley?

Pneumatic nail gun safety is something that Injury Board member attorneys Steve Lombardi, Brooks Schuelke, David Mittleman, and Jean Martin have recently been addressing. For those who have been hit hard by what has been classified as the deadliest tornado season in over a decade, the ramifications of nail guns have potentially different effects. Technology has quickened the pace of our lives. The days of taking months to build a home are generally gone forever. Many homes are built in as little as a week, as shows such as ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition have shown. But, as some in Tornado Alley have potentially experienced, cutting corners with convenient pneumatic nail guns does not always pay off.

With the economy fluctuating and a mortgage crisis at hand, many are looking for less expensive homes to raise their families in. Pneumatic nail guns are helping to reduce the time spent on building at a home, ultimately lowering the price of the home. Although construction workers have always been at risk for accidents with pneumatic guns, some have suggested that those who occupy the homes are in danger as well.

Although experts have said there is no direct evidence that pneumatic nail guns have made homes in Tornado Alley more dangerous, common sense would suggest that nails which embed in underlying boards are safer than those which do not. Even though pneumatic nail guns have made construction workers more efficient, the tools deprive the worker of the ability to feel whether the nail has been driven into the underlying boards. According to an article in the Minnesota Public Radio, as many as 80% of nails are hitting air instead of hitting another board.

Although the use of manual hammers will not significantly reduce the destructive force of a tornado, cutting corners now may have long term effects. As this video post on YouTube by National Geographic shows, tornadoes are devastating by powerful forces that cannot be stopped. Those who live in Tornado Alley have learned to take measures to protect themselves from these monster storms. Experts are calling for additional wind resistance building codes that would address this problem. No state currently requires such drastic measures as using a traditional nail and hammer instead of pneumatic nail guns. Perhaps further studies and public discussion should take place.