Personal protective equipment roundup

OH&S

Personal protective equipment roundup

One of the main pillars of OH&S is personal protective equipment (PPE). While virtually no company makes only PPE products for the smash repair industry, there are many that have products highly suited to smash repairs.
In this editorial, we cover some of those products and their suppliers. In coming issues we will continue our coverage with regular reports on existing and new products related to OH&S.

3M on three fronts
3M's OH&S products are offered under the three headings of respiratory protection, hearing protection and spill control.
Respirators range from light weight disposable breathing filters to powered air full head protection. Top of the line is the 'Speedglas' which, with powered air, can be used for virtually any work in a panel shop.
Powered air is mandatory where there are products being used that release isocyantes.
3M makes the point that although a welding helmet may protect the wearer from the welding light and sparks, it does not stop welding fumes getting to the operator. A light mask worn beneath the helmet is needed for full protection.
Although noise is not usually continuous in a panel shop, it can have very high peaks when metal is being beaten. 3M has a number of hearing protection devices beginning with ear plugs and finishing with full ear muffs. The problem is that shutting out all noise can also shut out a critical warning. A good halfway solution is plugs fixed to a light 'stethoscope' type frame that can be worn on the neck until needed.
Spill control in the third group of OH&S products offered by 3M. There are sorbents of various kinds, gloves and protective eyewear. 3M bundles them all into a handy plastic barrel or wheelie bin that can be placed prominently in a repair shop readyu for quick action.
3M gives all first year apprentices in painting and panel beating a starter kit comprising a half face respirator, filter retainers, several filters, cleaning wipes and ear plugs. They come packaged in a plastic bucket. The kit was originated as a gift to apprentices but ahs become so popular it is now for sale as well through 3M distributors.

Yakka Koolgear beats the heat
Yakka has launched a new range of performance workwear that will keep workers cool and dry in the harshest Aussie weather conditions. It especially applies to shops in the northern parts of Australia.
Hard Yakka Koolgear uses a unique blend of innovative design and specialized fabrics that help regulate body temperature in extreme heat.
The Hard Yakka Koolgear range of long and short sleeved, high-visibility, polo design shirts integrates the characteristics of wool science, cotton-backed micromesh, cotton jersey and woven cotton fabrics.
Each garment has a sun protection rating of UPF 50+ and incorporates a mixture of underarm and upper body cotton mesh cooling vents. This ensures the wearer remains cool and dry by generating airflow to the body, which quickly evaporates perspiration.
The Hard Yakka Koolgear garments are made from high performance fabrics, which boast differing features designed to suit the most demanding working conditions Australia has to offer.
Yakka has been making hard wearing workwear for Australian workers since the 1930s and all Hard Yakka Koolgear garments comply with the highest Australian standards for strength and durability.
Enquiries, Tel:(03) 9279 1555.

Safe shoes that look good too
The new Oliver Sports range of safety footwear with a strongly fashionable style has been enthusiastically received in manufacturing workplaces throughout Australasia.
With the increased emphasis on lifestyle, employees today want to wear clothing and footwear styles which are in line with community trends.
The introduction of the Oliver Sports range was encouraged by the popularity of jogger style footwear in the workplace, according to Oliver Footwear’s marketing manager geoff Roberts.
‘You only had to look around factories and job sites to see what workers preferred to wear," he says. "Oliver Footwear reviewed these changing circumstances and decided that if we introduced a sports jogger style safety range with attractive styling and safety protection, we would meet the preferences of employees and expand the use of safety footwear in the marketplace."
Designated as SPORTSflex, the thermo plastic urethane (TPU) sole is slip, abrasion, oil and acid resistant as well as organic oil and fat resistant.
Water resistant leather or fabric uppers plus a steel Type 1 (200J) toecap complement the comfort features for which the Oliver Footwear products are widely recognised.
The Oliver Sports range (officially designated as the Type 40 series) comes in ten attractive and fashionable styles including light weight ankle height sports boots, light weight slip-on sports shoes and light weight low cut sports shoes.
The colour choices including combinations of black/white, black/gold, navy/black, plus black and wheat nubuck leather, so that a fashion statement is at the wearer’s feet.

New supplied air hoods from Sundström
A range of supplied air hoods and shields is now available from Safety Equipment Australia. The new models can be used with Sundström’s recently released SR500 powered air purifying respirator (PAPR), and can also be connected to a remote air supply, such as a compressor.
Three styles of air hoods are available: a hard shield/helmet type with a flip-up visor, a soft fabric hood covering the face and head, and a more comprehensive fabric hood that provides protection to the head, neck and shoulders.
All models feature chemical-resistant visors with a wide field of vision, and all hoods are easily connected to a suitable external air supply system, or to the Sundström fan unit, carried on the waist.
When using the hoods with a compressed air system, an extra outlet on the regulator can be used to power spray guns and other air tools.

Covtech disposable overalls
Covtech coveralls offer a wide range of protection from hazards such as chemical solvents, two pack paint, lead dust, synthetic mineral fibres and asbestos.
The Covtech coverall has been tested and certified to internationally recognised personal protective equipment standards, for particle protection and light splashes of liquid chemicals.
This type 5 and 6 certification gives the assurance of selecting the right product for the application in a particular industry.
Type 5 and 6 certified products must meet the highest protection standards afforded by disposable coveralls.
Covtech class 111 type products (products which are worn to protect the wearer from both hazardous particles and many chemicals) must be subjected to ongoing manufacturing inspection by independent and internationally recognised product certification and auditing bodies.
This is the assurance that you need to have when selecting a product to use when working with potentially hazardous substances, either at work or home.
Covtech 365p has also been designed with the worker in mind, with room to move in all sizes.
This new design allows for increased worker comfort without restriction, even in the most arduous of conditions.
Covtech deposable coveralls are also silicone free and have an antistatic treatment applied so they are ideal for the paint and automotive industry where production finish is of paramount importance.

New regulator is safe and easy
The SR307 regulator from Sundström is the ideal companion for all paint & panel professionals working with compressed air.
Once a clean, breathable air supply system has been set up, the regulator becomes the central hub of air distribution. The regulator supplies safe breathing air to the user’s face mask, as well as air to power spray guns, grinders and other air tools. The light-weight SR307 sits comfortably on the waist. It has three connectors: one for the incoming air supply, and two outlets for air tool and respirator. The user can easily adjust the air flow from 150 to 320 litres/minute to suit work rate and comfortable breathing.
Varying the flow of breathing air does not affect the supply to the spray gun. The regulator also features a silencer to minimise the noise of the compressed air inside the hood. The breathing supply is constantly monitored, and a warning whistle sounds if there should be a dip or interruption in the air pressure. The SR307 comes with an attachment for both half and full face respirators from Sundström and Safety Equipment Australia. The attachment fits into the respirator just like a filter. A practical waist belt and a flow meter are also supplied.

Triple the protection.
Finding a disposable glove that protected your hands for long periods while still providing touch, dexterity and protection was a tedious task until the Tri-Tuff disposable glove by RCR International came on the market.
Part of the Pro-Val glove range, the Tri-Tuff is an innovative triple blend combination of latex, nitrile and neoprene offers extra strength and increased flexibility, more protection, and durability than some standard latex or nitrile single use gloves.
The added nitrile and neoprene provides greater protection against some chemical splashes. Particularly good with chemicals such as Acetone, MEK, ethanol and Hydrochloric Acid, the Tri-Tuff glove is excellent for the panel beating and automotive trades.
They are extremely comfortable, flexible and have pebbled finger ends for an excellent grip with a superior touch and feel. A low protein glove to reduce the latex allergy risk, they are coloured purple for easy recognition and are powder free. Sizes available are small, medium, large and extra large. Packaged in convenient dispenser boxes of 100, the Tri’Tuff glove will have your hands covered.

Protection starts at ground level
Australian owned safety footwear company, Steel Blue, is taking on the world with its highly comfortable safety footwear range. In fact Steel Blue products are so comfortable they are sold with a 30 day money back comfort guarantee and carry the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) ‘Seal of Acceptance’. The APMA Seal program was created to inform both podiatric physicians and consumers about products whose quality, safety and effectiveness allows for normal function and promotes good foot health.
Steel Blue unique shock absorbent sole cushions the feet, knees, hips, lower back and joints from normal day to day fatigue. Steel Blue is made form soft, strong leathers and linings that quickly form to the shape of the feet and need very little breaking in. The footwear is available in both men’s and women’s styles to suit most industrial situations from the toughest mines to high tech laboratories, including antistatic footwear for paint shops.
One in five injuries in the workplace affects the lower limbs including the feet and toes. Steel Blue has recently developed a corporate partnership with the Australasian Podiatry Council (APodC) with the aim of educating the work force on the need to wear adequate footwear in the workplace.