The 2012 edition of NFPA 2112, Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel against Flash Fire, 2012 Edition became effective August 31, 2011. These revisions mostly consisted of updates to specific standard requirements, and clarifications of existing wording. Specific changes are as follows:

Garment label wording now highlights the requirement for garments to provide upper and lower body protection in order to be fully compliant with the standard. Specifically, this emphasizes that NFPA 2112 compliant shirts or pants worn alone does not provide adequate protection. The standard now also acknowledges that garment ignition and resultant wearer injury from flammable clothing can result from any type of fire (jet flames, liquid pool fires, solid fires, etc) and not just from flash fires.

The 2012 edition also added a section relating to the topic of cold weather protective garments, which may result in more insulated garments becoming NFPA 2112 certified in the future. As part of this, it requires that garments with multiple separable layers (for example, a liner that can be removed from a certified jacket and worn as a stand-alone garment) must be tested and certified in all wearable configurations. It also establishes a separate thermal shrinkage requirement at a maximum of 20% for cold weather insulation material, which may result in more options to lower price or improve performance of existing outerwear lining.

The thermal protective performance test (TPP) was updated to specify the use of ASTM Standard Test Method 2700. The thermal insulation value will now be called HTP (heat transfer performance) instead of TPP. The TPP test method was revised to show that the result is only a measure of heat transfer and not a predictor of skin burn injury. The test apparatus and test results obtained from it are unchanged. Test reports for spaced and contact testing are still required.

Other updates included a  new requirement that zipper tape must be made from inherently FR fiber, clarification that the maximum allowable 50% predicted body burn requirement on testing is based on the total surface area of the mannequin covered by sensors and excludes the hands and feet (which are not instrumented), revisions to the laundering procedures used to test flame resistant fabric durability to include additional rinse cycles, and a slight increase in the weight of the 100% cotton undergarments worn by the instrumented mannequin during flash fire testing.

These changes do not significantly impact our ability to provide high quality compliant flame resistant garments to our customers at affordable prices. 

Representatives from the Seabrook, Hampton Falls, Hampton, Rye and Portsmouth police departments, along with members of the state police and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department announced on Wednesday this year’s holiday initiative aimed at keeping impaired drivers off the roads. Officers from the North Hampton Police Department will also take part in the program.”

Read more here

With police taking an aggressive stance towards drunk driving this holiday, we at Anchortex Corporation encourage you to enjoy your holiday season responsibly. We salute the men and women of law enforcement who keep our roads safe throughout the holiday season.

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.

Toothbrushes are a common source of improvised weaponry within prison culture; the long handled versions can either be sharpened down for use as a stabbing weapon or can have a razor blade attached to the body to create an improvised knife. To help lower the usability of these common items as weapons, prisons use security brushes with thumbprint handles - including pre-pasted thumbprint toothbrushes for facilities that do not want to distribute toothpaste tubes - or finger toothbrushes that fit over the tip of the finger and are almost impossible to turn into weapons.

Another common source of improvised weaponry in prisons is the disposable razor; inmates need to shave, but normal disposable razors have handles that can be sharpened down, and the blade itself can be extracted for use as a weapon component. Prisons have solved this problem with the advent of security razors, with a minimum of sharpenable plastic content, blades designed to break apart if tampered with, and a flexible, thin handle with no hidden cavities for storing contraband and practically no utility as a weapon component.

Another common source of problems in a correctional facility is the fact that any container can be used to conceal contraband from officers. Security toiletries take this into account by providing solutions for minimum concealment - with clear 4 oz bottles of all-in-one shampoo/body wash/shave gel, or clear 1/3 oz packets for single-use distribution.

The use of security toiletries in correctional facilities, including detention centers, federal prisons, and state prisons, helps protect the lives of correctional officers and of inmates, allowing prisons to maintain standards of human decency in the safest possible manner for all concerned. These products, as well as related products for lower-security prisons, institutional usage, and hospitality usage, and other institutional and correctional supplies, are available for purchase by the case from Anchortex Corporation and American Detention Supplies. Quantity quotes are available for large orders.

With this in mind, Anchortex Corporation supplies Setina vehicle partitions to law enforcement and security customers throughout the United States, as well as other security-conscious passenger transit agencies. For most agencies, a stationary vehicle partition is appropriate, with a polycarbonate transparent plate used for maximum safety and protection, or a partial or full metal diamond lattice screen when communication or ventilation needs must be met. Partitions are also available with lockable sliding window sections for ease of communication, or fold-down partitions for situations where a partition is not always needed. There are also specialized K-9 partitions for vehicles transporting canine officers.

Partitions are available for most cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans, as well as other vehicle equipment for police and security vehicles such as lightbars, bumpers, weapon storage systems, and window barriers. Contact our sales department for more information and to get a quote for your personal vehicle, department, or organization.

The following are required components of the Airman Battle Uniform:

ABU Coat (Shirt). The ABU Coat must be made of 50% nylon/50% cotton material, with button fastenings and Air Force digitized tiger stripe print. Rank insignia for officers is on the collar on the left side; rank insignia for enlisted personnel is on the sleeves, centered on the outer arm halfway between the elbow and shoulder seam. Name tapes will be worn immediately above the upper ABU pocket on the wearer’s right; the ‘US Air Force’ service tape will be worn on the upper ABU pocket on the wearer’s left. Up to two relevant chaplain, aeronautical, space, cyberspace, and/or occupational badges are authorized for wear above the US Air Force tape, the first centered 1/2 inch above the tape, the second 1/2 inch above the first. Duty Shields for members of the Office of Special Investigations, Security Forces, or Fire Protection, as well and Missile Badges (where authorized) are centered between the bottom of the pocket flap, bottom of the pocket, and left and right edges on the ABU coat’s left pocket only, and are the only items authorized for placement in this location.

T-Shirt - Desert Sand (Tan). A desert sand T-shirt will be worn under the ABU coat and tucked into the trousers; it may be replaced by a desert sand turtleneck. Installation commanders may prescribe a unit designation and cloth or silkscreen emblem to be worn on the left side of the chest not to exceed 5 inches in diameter. Pockets are not allowed, and gender-appropriate undergarments are required to be worn with all uniform combinations.

ABU Trousers. The ABU trousers must be made of 50% nylon, 50% cotton, with button fastenings and Air Force digitized tiger stripe print. The waistband must rest on the Airman’s waist, and the trouser must present an evenly bloused appearance. If not bloused, the straps must be removed and the trousers must be allowed to hang naturally to ankle length.

Belt - Desert Sand (Tan). The ABU Belt must be a one-piece rigger-style nylon web belt, 1 3/4″ in width, and must be worn with the ABU trousers.

Combat Boots - Sage Green. The Sage Green Combat Boots must be worn with the Airman Battle Uniform; these boots must be lace-up with plain or capped rounded toe with or without a perforated seam. Zippers and elastic inserts may be included, if they do not have a design or logo. These combat boots may include a safety toe at the wearer’s option. Exceptions: Commanders may temporarily authorize the use of black leather boots with ABUs in industrial work environments or work centers where industrial products or processes cause irreparable staining to the sage green suede or tan suede boot, until a stain-resistant green boot becomes available. Theater Commanders may authorize tan combat boots for wear only in theaters of war.

Socks - Sage Green. As part of the Airman Battle Uniform, Airmen are required to wear sage green socks; plain white socks can be worn underneath the sage green socks as long as the white socks are not visible.

ABU Patrol Cap. Headgear is required when outdoors at all times unless in a designated no-hat zone. The typical requirement is the ABU Patrol Cap, made of 50% nylon/50% cotton with Air Force digitized tiger stripe print. Officers wear a subdued metal or cloth rank insignia centered on the front of this cap; enlisted personnel do not wear ranks on their caps. An installation commander may optionally approve usage of a sage green watch cap instead for use with ABU authorized outer garments.

All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS). For outdoor use only as outerwear. APECS coats and APECS trousers use Air Force digitized tiger stripe print, and require a slip-on rank insignia to be worn on the rank tab. A sage green fleece liner may be worn under the APECS, as long as it is not visible.

Sage Green Fleece. The sage green fleece can be worn outdoors by itself with the Airman Battle Uniform, but must be removed when indoors (local commanders can allow indoor wear as mission needs dictate.) It can only be worn over the ABU coat. When worn as an outer garment, uniform regulations require a Velcro ABU print last name tape with dark blue block lettering centered between the zipper and sleeve seam on wearer’s right chest. Regulations also require a 2 inch squared Velcro subdued cloth rank insignia with solid sage green background (no ABU pattern on background) flushed and centered above the last name tape on the wearer’s right chest. A Velcro ABU print ‘US Air Force’ service tape with dark blue, block lettering will be placed even with the last name tape and centered between zipper and sleeve seam on wearer’s left chest.

The original document containing the Air Force Dress Regulations is available at http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf without restrictions, so if you’re curious about what the 179-page document actually contains, you’re cleared to look it over yourself. If you’re looking for a quick outfitting solution for your troops, contact our sales department with the name, rank, shoe size, hat size, trouser size, and shirt size of all soldiers who need a complete uniform solution and the quantity of each item you need and we’ll give you a combined quote based on the quantity of your order. Attached, Velcro-backed, or loose insignias, badges, name tapes, and service tapes are available to meet your needs. We will happily deliver to military bases, consolidation points, APOs or FPOs with a minimum of fuss. Let us know what we can do for you, your unit, your squadron, or your base today.

First and foremost, if you’ve ever worn an RBR Tactical helmet, you probably only had one significant complaint against it - the mesh liner it came with was flimsy, wasn’t made in the United States, and was usually quickly torn out and replaced before it ever saw service. RBR North America has taken steps to ensure you’ll never have to rip out a liner again by using Team Wendy quality liners made in the United States and approved for use by the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and National Guard on all tactical helmets from this point onward. This does nudge the price up slightly, but the customization quality of the padding now included is incredible - a single Large-size helmet can fit all but the very smallest or very largest of heads, because the Team Wendy padding included allows you to customize the helmet to fit your head snugly without feeling crammed into place or dangerously loose.

Second, RBR armor carriers are undergoing redesigns and improvements that take consumer and dealer suggestions into consideration. While the basic concealable or exterior carriers are available immediately (at extremely reasonable prices), the new carrier designs will be announced shortly. Other new designs available include the ballistic flotation vest - providing bullet-stopping power to naval customs officials, search crews, and boarding crews without endangering their lives should they fall into the water.

Anchortex Corporation welcomes back the RBR line of ballistic protection products and looks forward to seeing more good things from it in the future.

While cool compresses and immersion in cool water are a good way to cool down quickly, one must be careful; too much of a temperature shift can cause a cold shock response, as veins abruptly constrict to retain body heat to prevent cold blood from reaching your heart. This can be very hazardous to your health, and can even cause organ failure and death in extreme cases.

So what can you do to beat the heat? First, make sure to drink plenty of water and consume more sodium than usual, as water and salts are drained from the body when you sweat. If your job requires working in the heat - for example, construction workers or warehouse crew - a cooler/dispenser with a push-button spigot, filled with ice and water or electrolyte drink made from powdered mix, can be every bit as vital a safety investment as a hard hat or a high-visibility vest. You may also want to invest in cooling vests and other heat stress gear to help keep you cool without causing extreme temperature shifts that can be hazardous.

Do you work in an industrial cooler or freezer? Don’t be tempted to skip your freezer wear just because it’s hot outside! Wear insulated gloves, freezer vests, and freezer boots when working in these icy environments, and remove them as soon as you leave. It may be tedious, but maintaining a consistent body temperature will ensure that you don’t suffer from shock when you go in or come out.

Maintaining your health in the heat can be a serious challenge. However, with the right work equipment to keep you cool, and adequate hydration to replenish what sweat takes away, you should be able to manage this summer, no matter what your workplace and the weather have to throw at you.

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.