November 11, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

Work gloves are the unsung heroes of the working man. Depending on your job, a good set of gloves can enhance your grip, protect your hands from cuts and abrasions, keep out water and chemicals, help you be seen at night, or even resist extremes of heat and molten metal. When supplying your facility, work gloves should always be on the list.

Freight handling and general maintenance tasks are easier with a pair of brown jersey gloves. They are highly inexpensive when  bought by the dozen, and are good for preventing harm from minor cuts, splinters, and other minor injuries one might expect from light industrial work. They are also excellent for use in refrigerated areas to help keep your hands warm and reduce slipping. Versions with PVC dots added to the gripping surfaces increase slip resistance and grip even further, making for much better efficiency and reducing accidents.

When you need better hand protection for heavier duty applications, a sturdy pair of leather palm gloves is just what you need. While they aren’t quite as comfortable as jersey gloves, you can always wear jersey gloves as a liner for comfort while retaining the superior grip, protection, and durability of the leather work glove. Like jersey gloves, they are a staple of industrial sites and are sold by the dozen.

Anchortex Corporation and American Work Safety are dedicated to providing a wide range of personal protective equipment to meet OSHA requirements, ensure the safety of your workers, and reduce costs incurred by on-the-job injuries. Contact us today for a personal consultation with one of our sales representatives.

Posted in Industrial, American Work Safety, Uncategorized | No Comments »

July 8, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

Law enforcement officers executing a search warrant face unique challenges. In most cases, they are not welcome and must gain forcible entry as quickly as possible before vital evidence can be destroyed or disposed of. For this reason, law enforcement officers engaged in dynamic entry activities typically use tools meant specifically to break down, cut
through, or pry apart obstacles that might impede them from conducting a thorough search. Thus, tactical entry kits are a common sight among search teams when resistance is expected.

A good, sturdy pair of bolt cutters are a vital asset to a tactical entry team. Padlocks, security chains, barbed wire, and chain link fences are often used to keep people out, but a sturdy pair of bolt cutters will let police search teams in. The best models include heat treated, hardened cutting edges to give them the best chance against sturdy bolts, and are designed specifically to not conduct electricity so that even electrified fences can be dismantled with relative ease.

Breaking down doors and other obstacles, or breaking into secured areas, is another common impediment to searching an area thoroughly. In these situations, the best tactical tool for quick entry is a combination of two separate tools - an axe head for cutting and a sledge head for smashing - into a single tool called a maul. The resulting tool is light enough to be easily carried, but tough enough to break open most obstacles.

Rounding out the tactical tool set, a good prybar or Hallagan tool allows the tactical entry specialist to breach a door or padlock that cannot or should not be broken or cut. These tools can be safely wedged or hammered into position, then pulled or hammered to pry apart or break open locked or jammed doors, sealed containers, and other obstructions with relative ease. They are preferably non-sparking and non-conductive so as to be usable in areas where a fire or electrical hazard exists.

A tactical backpack kit combines these three tools into a single unit that can be worn on the back, where the tools are easily accessible when needed but do not occupy the hands when idle. They allow search operations to be carried out efficiently and quickly, reducing the risk to officers and civilians. Every search team should have at least one tactical backpack kit ready to go when dynamic entry is authorized.

Posted in Law Enforcement, Correctional, Police and Security, American Detention Supplies, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

June 10, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

Disposable respirator masks are designed to cover the mouth and nose to provide single-use protection in environments where breathing protection is needed. All disposable face masks are classified according to series and protection level. Knowing what these numbers mean is vital for ensuring you are using the most appropriate breathing mask for your job.

The most commonly used and known series of respirator is the N-Series, a particulate respiratory mask that protects against particles and ‘dust’ from janitorial, construction, mining, logging, and other industrial work. They can be used as long as the mask is not damaged and no breathing difficulties are present. N-series masks also provide protection against non-oil-based liquid particles, though not against gases or vapors.

A less commonly used, but still important, series is the R-series - rated to resist oil and protect against oil-based liquid and solid particles as well as non-oil-based particles. They are rated for use for up to eight hours.

The best level of protection comes from the P-series masks, which like the R-series provide protection against solid and liquid particles, oil-based or otherwise. However, the P-series respirator is rated for use for as long as the mask is undamaged and breathing impairment does not occur. The best of the best, the P100 air mask, is also referred to as the HEPA face mask; filters that provide this level of protection are commonly known as HEPA filters.

Each grade of respiratory mask is also rated by efficiency level - for example, the most common dust mask used in industrial environments is known as the N95 - N for the N-series, 95 for the efficiency grade. An efficiency grade of 95 protects against a minimum of 95% of all applicable particulate materials; an efficiency grade of 99 protects against least 99%; and an efficiency grade of 100 protects against at least 99.97% (near-perfect protection) when worn properly.

Note, however, that none of these disposable face masks designed specifically to protect against harmful gases and vapors, and for this purpose a half-mask or full-mask respirator is required. These air purifying respirators require replaceable cartridges rated to protect against chemicals or gases, and are not specifically rated to protect against particulates; however, combination filter cartridges that do both are available.

When working in a capacity that requires any form of breathing equipment, always make sure to thoroughly inspect your equipment before use, to replace disposable face masks after use, and to replace filter cartridges and other respiratory equipment immediately when their service life expires.

Anchortex Corporation sells a full range of disposable face masks, air purifying respirators, APR cartridges, and other industrial safety equipment. Contact our sales department today for quotes on comprehensive safety solutions for your workplace requirements.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

December 13, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

You read right — Santa is dressed in fur-lined camouflage and is on his way on ‘Saint Nick 1′ to visit wounded soldiers to bring them Christmas cheer as part of “Operation Christmas Spirit”, an organized operation by the USO that has persisted for the past four years. Learn more about it courtesy of the AOPA Online website.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

March 16, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

In addition to updating our blog on a regular basis, we also issue updates through our Facebook page. Become a fan to receive updates through your Facebook news feed, including special promotions not offered elsewhere.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »