When it comes to selecting PPE for his team, PCC Structurals Safety Technician Douglas Sanborn has simple criteria: It must provide an acceptable level of safety, and employees have to love wearing it.
At PCC Structurals, employee safety is a top priority and hand injuries are of particular concern. A leader in the manufacturing of parts for the aviation industry, PCC Structurals builds parts for all types of aircraft, from passenger jets to military planes and space shuttles.
The injury that shouldn't have happened
As one can well imagine, it is not atypical for employees at PCC Structurals to be working on massive parts weighing close to a ton. To accommodate this work, the machinery used by employees must be massive as well, including industrial-sized grinders so large they need to be held up by hoists.
It was while using one of these grinders that a member of Sanborn's team slipped and the full force of the 1,000-pound grinder came to bear on the back of the poor team member's hand. The wound was so deep it cut through to the bone.
This particular team member had been wearing safety gloves, but they were only rated ANSI Level A4, as that was the highest cut-level protection available in safety gloves that allowed for the dexterity needed to perform the job.
The search for better protection
Disturbed by the severity of the wound and the ease with which it happened, Sanborn set out to find a way to safeguard his team against similar incidents.
He had recently heard some rave reviews about a new pair of gloves the welding team was trying out from Superior Glove. These gloves were not only comfortable to work in and dexterous enough for fine-detailed tasks but also offered an impressive ANSI Level A9 cut protection -- the highest protection possible. The gloves the welders trialed were Superior's Endura Extreme-Cut Goat-Grain Driver Gloves with Oilbloc.
Although the welders were using a leather glove, Sanborn spoke to Superior Glove and found there was a string-knit version as well. He immediately ordered a trial and distributed the gloves to his team members. The extremecut string-knit gloves trialed by Sanborn and his team were Superior's TenActiv 13-Gauge Extreme-Cut Gloves with Foam Nitrile Palm Coating.
The initial feedback was great: Employees loved wearing the gloves and found they provided ample dexterity for the work that needed to be performed. But when it came down to protection, would the gloves hold up? It didn't take long to find out.
Superior extreme-cut gloves deliver beyond expectations
Within days of starting the glove trial, another employee had a grinder incident identical to the previous one, losing grip on the grinder and having it smash into the back of his hand. This time, he had Superior hand protection.
Amazingly, the incident didn't result in a scratch -- the glove didn't even tear. The impact had gone from a serious, bone-deep wound to not a scratch. Talk about safety improvement!
The efficacy alone sold Sanborn on the gloves, but as an added bonus, he discovered the Superior Gloves on average lasted two-and- a-half weeks before a replacement pair was needed. Compare this to the old A4s he used to use, which his team went through in less than a day.
Superior Glove provides better performance, better quality and better protection. Why not start a risk-free trial at your facility and see how comfortable ultimate cut protection can be?
For more information or to request a trial, visit www.superiorglove.com/extremecut or call (888) 428-1210.