July 26, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

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With the temperature soaring, heat exhaustion is a clear and present workplace hazard in practically any location. Throw in the hectic pace of a job that requires you to do heavy labor outdoors or in an unventilated warehouse, or in an environment where fires are a direct hazard, and you need a better solution than a bottle of water to keep you cool. You need heat stress gear.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires employers to “furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees”. What does this mean? This means that in conditions of extreme heat, the safety of workers must be provided for.

So what do you do about this? Well, fortunately, manufacturers like OccuNomix specialize in occupational safety gear, including cooling gear. Cooling gear comes in a variety of forms: cooling vests, hats and headbands, inserts for hard hats, wristbands, and cooling wipes. Each type of heat stress relief is useful, depending on the work environment involved.

Cooling vests may consist of simple poncho vests with crystals that cool the user when wettened, to mesh vests that use cooling pack inserts that essentially work as wearable ice packs, maintaining coolness and comfort in the hottest of temperatures. There are even fire-resistant cooling vests for use by firefighters, those at risk of arc flash hazards, and others in workplaces where fire is a constant hazard.

For those who need a more lightweight cooling solution, cooling headbands work similarly, with cooling crystals that relieve the effects of high temperatures while keeping perspiration out of your eyes, while cooling hats use the same crystals to keep you cooler while keeping the sun out of your eyes. For the working person who needs to keep cool while protecting their head, there are hard hat inserts for relief in situations where hard hats are required, and practically anyone can benefit from cooling wipes, disposable wipes that are useful for creating immediate evaporative relief to transfer heat from the skin without requiring special clothing.

With the summer as blazing hot as ever, you can’t afford not to invest in cooling solutions for your workplace. Clothing especially intended for heat stress relief is a necessary expense to prevent worker health hazards and maintain OSHA safety standards, while increasing the comfort of your workers. Even individuals can benefit from these items made specifically to help beat the heat. When it comes to cooling gear, don’t let the heat stress you - check out the solutions available, and keep cool this summer.

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July 12, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

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When you’re shopping for a product that may just save a life, you want to be absolutely certain that it works as advertised, and you want to be absolutely certain that what you’re buying fits the exact specifications your job requires. You want to know that it will perform under the circumstances you need it to, without encumbering or inhibiting you. There are five basic things you can do to ensure that you get the quality you need.

First, you need to select a distributor. Many manufacturers do not sell directly, but sell their products through a distributor who handles the order-taking process and can usually offer a diverse assortment of brands to meet varying needs, whether you need a set of coveralls built to handle arc flash protective requirements or one more suited to fighting wildland fires. As an example, Anchortex Corporation offers many brands of popular and reliable flame resistant products, including OEL Protective Gear, Lakeland Protective Apparel, Topps Safety Apparel, Workrite FR Work Clothing, Refrigiwear FR, and Bulwark Protective Apparel. Each brand specializes in meeting a particular set of needs, and choosing an appropriate brand will ensure that you are meeting OSHA regulations and getting the best product for your purposes.

Second, you need to evaluate the manufacturer. FR fabric manufacture is a large and important business, but making quality FR gear that can stand up under actual use conditions requires diligent effort and knowledge. Ensure that you know the manufacturer of your potential lifesaving materials is a legitimate company with experience in the field, and that you know about them and what they do.

Third, you need to get a better grasp on the fabrics themselves - figuratively, and literally. Most companies are willing to provide sample swatches of materials upon request, as well as information about their internal and external testing processes, documentation on their manufacturer, and quality control standards. When your life might be on the line, you want to know as much as you can about the product before you have to use it.

Fourth, you need to learn who else is using a product you are considering purchasing. Most distributors and manufacturers succeed because they can back up their product claims with satisfied customers who have been using their products for years. Don’t be shy about asking - remember, when it comes to something that can prevent employee injuries or other significant costs, you can never be too prepared.

Fifth, you need to ensure that vital information about the product is presented clearly and visibly at all times. When ordering, you need to ensure that you are requesting (and being provided with) the specific FR fabric you need to perform the job. Quality manufacturers sew labels directly into their garments for identification purposes, to ensure that customers have accurate information about the exact garment available without having to wonder whether an off-brand generic fabric happens to be rated for their specific needs. Products that maintain a specific certification (such as NFPA 1977) will clearly display this on the label, for example. Furthermore, important care information on the label must be followed exactly to ensure that your FR protective clothing maintains the level of protection you expect over the lifespan of the garment.

By following these five steps, you can ensure that the flame resistant clothing you purchase will meet your needs and expectations, and avoid getting burned by generic products and manufacturers who don’t stand behind their products. Anchortex Corporation will always be happy to provide customers with information direct from the manufacturer regarding our name-brand products. Contact us today and ask us for information on our OEL arc flash protective gear, our Bulwark flame resistant work clothing, our Topps and Lakeland emergency personnel apparel, and our many other FR options to meet your safety needs - or shop direct from our website and receive $10 off of a purchase of $100 or more in FR apparel by entering pricing code FRSafe.

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