Silicone is fused to
the palm to create a super-tacky grip on any smooth surface -
corrugated, glass, metal and wood.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED USES:
Drivers
• Drywall
•
Entertainment Grip
•
Glazing
•
Parcel Delivery
•
Sheet Metal
•
Warehouse Work
•
Transportation
RECOMMENDED USES:
Cold Storage
•
Electrician •
Equipment Operation
•
Hand & Power Tool
Use
•
HVAC
•
Law Enforcement
•
Lighting
•
Material Handling
ABRASION SCALE:
Medium Resistance
FEATURES
Super tacky DiamondClad palm and fingertips.
Low profile Airprene knuckle protection.
Reinforced Gorilla Grip thumb and saddle.
One piece Clarino synthetic leather palm.
Terry cloth sweat wipe.
Breathable, flexible fabrics designed for all day use.
Washable - resists stretching, shrinking and hardening.
Snug Tug pull tab with wrist protection.
Hook and loop wrist closure with Airprene protection.
NOTES
In the face of rising U.S.
health care costs, an investment in a safe workplace has become more
valuable than ever.
U.S. healthcare premiums
increased an average of 11.2 percent in 2004 – the fourth consecutive
year of double-digit increases, according to the Kaiser Family
Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust.
Businesses that are
committed to maintaining a safe operating environment are reaping the
rewards of a healthier bottom line as well as a healthier workforce,
says Ed Jaeger president and CEO of Ironclad Performance Wear.
“Companies are demanding
more advanced solutions to increase work performance and safety,” said
Jaeger. “They’re demanding solutions that not only increase safety,
but also improve profitability.”
“The companies we work
with don’t see their commitment to jobsite safety as an added
expense. Ironclad gloves are actually helping them earn millions of
dollars on decreased insurance premiums and more attractive worksite
safety ratings.”
In 2003, Ironclad helped
Minnesota-based Harmon Glass – the largest U.S. full-service building
glass installation, maintenance and renovation company – reverse a
major spike in costly hand injuries.
Cuts to the hand are one
of the most frequent types of recordable hand injuries in the
construction and manufacturing industry. They represent more than 50
percent of claims. Although most hand injury claims appear to be
relatively insignificant, Harmon Glass found that the impact of these
injuries had a dramatic effect on its business.
“The perception of these
claims as relatively minor incidents just isn’t accurate,” said Allan
Burke, Executive Safety Manager of Harmon Glass. “Even a single stitch
in the hand constitutes a recordable injury, and a couple years ago
our accident injury rates were going up as a result the spike in
incidents.”
“The way we get our jobs
is through a bidding system, and the current general contractors or
owners that we bid to are very interested in what our accident rate
is. If we’re starting to creep up or go over the SIC code average,
they don’t take highly to it. And in the past, we’ve lost jobs because
our injury rate is higher than what our SIC code average would be.”
When millions in lost
potential revenue were traced back to accident rates, Burke saw that
Harmon Glass was bleeding more than just medical costs with each hand
injury. On average, each recordable hand injury cost the company more
than $10,000. Only $250 of that cost was related to the stitching of
the cut.
In response to the injury
spike, Burke implemented a company-wide mandate on use of Ironclad
gloves for all glass installers – approximately 750 field and shop
employees across the country.
Installers began wearing
Ironclad Box Handler gloves, which feature a silicone-based super
tacky DiamondCladTM palm and fingertips that gives employees superior
control when handling materials like glass, metal, wood or even
cardboard.
After a year of Ironclad
glove use, Harmon Glass reported a dramatic reduction in cuts to
hands. The Ironclad glove mandate helped the company reduce hand
injuries by more than 66 percent. As a result, Harmon Glass’s 5.2
accident rating improved to well below the SIC code average rating of
7.5.
And, the payoff? With
Ironclad’s help, Harmon Glass reduced its Workman’s Compensation
premiums from $2 million annually, to $750,000.
Harmon Glass’ investment
in Ironclad high-performance work gloves ultimately grew the
business’s bottom line.
However, companies should
not confuse ordinary glove use with an effective employee safety
strategy. Jaeger points out that the Ironclad gloves helped Harmon
Glass employees better avoid injury by giving them enhanced
performance. A bulky, ill-fitting, common cut-proof glove would have
impeded work and potentially caused more accidents.
“It’s difficult to imagine
achieving the same results with a lesser quality work glove than
Ironclad offers,” Jaeger said. “Harmon employees said they were more
comfortable in Ironclad gloves, more willing to wear them longer, and
they benefited from the unique dexterity and tackiness of the glove
while handling glass.
“It can be difficult to
gain employee approval of new safety practices. But when you offer a
superior product that protects employees and enhances their work
experience, everyone benefits.”
With Ironclad’s help,
Harmon Glass used safety to redefine the entire culture at the
company, according to Burke. Today, Burke operates with a staff of 17
Harmon Glass safety coordinators, and every major project has
full-time safety director on site.
With hand injuries now
under control, the next trend Burke sees is an increase in sprains and
strains. Harmon Glass has already begun implementing a local program
of daily limbering exercises before workers begin their shifts. With
the right results, Burke says, the program could be expanded
nationwide.
“This is going to be a
tough nut to crack, and that’s based upon the nature of our business,”
he said. “The work we do involves a lot of heavy lifting, and it
tends to show. I don’t know how we’ll ever get away from handling
glass in this business. It’s always good to have manipulators and use
power equipment wherever you can, but there are times where you just
can’t. That’s why we’ve committed ourselves to programs that better
prepare our employees to work more safely in those situations.”
