Page 26 - OHS, July/August 2020

PPE: HAND PROTECTION
The Magic of New Technology
Here’s a roundup of some of the latest PPE technologies and why these claims are the new reality.
BY M.B. SUTHERLAND
We’ve all experienced new-technology skepticism. I remember when winter coats first promised an innovative type of material, not downy feathers, would keep me warm. I rubbed the thin fabric between my fingers and wondered...really?
As safety technologies advance and companies provide better, more comfortable gear, many safety managers find themselves similarly skeptical as they’re asked to test a product that seems almost too good to be true. Here’s a roundup of some of the latest PPE technologies and why these claims are the new reality.
Cooling PPE
Historically, there have been two types of cooling PPE. First, you have cooling towels, bandanas, and other wearables that feel cold and refreshing when you put them on. Unfortunately, that moment of cool relief doesn’t tend to last more than about ten to twenty minutes. That leaves workers hot, uncomfortable, and at higher risk for heat illness until they can cool off at their next break. An additional disadvantage with these fabrics is that they can actually add to worker discomfort with slimy-feeling chemical coatings that prolong the cool, but disappoint in total comfort. The other option is body cooling vests that don’t feel espe- cially refreshing but do help to control a worker’s core temperature through the day, even though they can’t necessarily feel it working.
The newest technology in cooling PPE promises the best of both worlds—instant, refreshing relief and cooling that lasts for hours, not minutes. This keeps
workers safer and more comfortable through their shift—all without the use of harsh chemicals. Perhaps most important of all, they also promise that the re- freshing cool can be reactivated over and over again quickly, using any temperature of water.
Why believe? This technology may be the one that feels closest to a magic trick as you can pour very hot water onto the material and feel it cool down as much as 30 degrees below average body temperature in under a minute. The secret lies in advances in fabric weaving technology. Engineers found that they could strategically interlock fabric strands to leverage the natural cooling power of evaporation and multiply that effect within the material. The result is PPE that cools almost instantly, stays cool for hours and can be reactivated with any water available on the jobsite— even water that’s hot from sitting in the sun.
Cut Protection
Cut-resistant gloves have made huge strides in recent years. In the past, higher cut levels were only achieved by weaving steel wire into glove material—making a stiffer, bulkier glove. Today, manufacturers offer gloves and sleeves with higher ANSI Cut Levels that are made of fabric so thin and light, some safety man- agers refuse to believe it will protect their people. Just like that winter coat, they find themselves rubbing the thin fabric between their fingers and asking, really?
Why believe? The secret is innovative core ma- terials in the yarn. These lighter, tougher cores allow manufacturers to create ultra-thin gloves and sleeves with no bulk and very little weight that still protect from more serious cut hazards. For the highest cut- resistance needs, even A9 gloves are lighter and thin- ner than their predecessors due to updated methods of yarn wrapping that provide extra cut resistance without adding bulk.
Irritation Relief
You may not have a huge percentage of workers who experience contact dermatitis, but for those who do suffer with this problem, it can be an all-day, ev- eryday issue that interferes with their ability to do the job. Sometimes, it’s a problem of excess sweat that keeps skin too moist for long periods of time. In other cases, the problem is that the cut-resistant core in the yarn of traditionally made gloves tends to break over time, creating microscopic barbs within the fabric that cause some workers’ skin to react with
24 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2020
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