BALLISTIC TROUSERS – STANDARDS & LEVELS OF PROTECTION
Ballistic Trousers provide protection from cut hazards and here we discuss the various standards and levels of protection available in Hazchem’s range of Trousers.
Ballistic Trousers provide protection for many workers each day who are at risk of cut hazards
The Threat
The real-world hazards that pose threats to workers every day can come in unexpected forms – and punctures are no exception. Many times, puncture injuries to the leg occur in industries which would not traditionally be classified as high-risk for example facilities management. This can make punctures hard to defend against and the use of appropriate PPE more difficult to enforce.
Constraints
Real-world performance is critical consideration when protecting against puncture hazards. Creating PPE and ballistic trousers that perform well in lab testing but fails to reform in a real-life work environment can be more damaging than a product with greater wearability and a less impressive official performance rating. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your PPE can lead to a more efficient safety program and a healthier, happier workforce. Hazchem Safety have worked with the facilities management industry to develop trousers which make use of the advancements in needle-resistant fabrics which have been made over the past decade. The resultant products provide different levels of protection, so it is important to understand the specific types and levels of protection in which you are investing.
Standards and levels of protection
The EN standard which measures protection from puncture hazards, EN388, bears little relevance to the risk of needle injury as the stylus used is like the point of a blunt nail. However, the ASTM F2878-10 testing uses calibrated 25, 23 or 21g needles and a tensometer is used to drive the needle through the material to simulate real life puncture hazards as closely as possible. A minimum of 12 samples are tested and the mean is determined to give an accurate force required to puncture the material. Please speak to one of our specialists if you would like to understand more about the levels of protection afforded by the different Ballistic trousers in the Haztec range and the what can be most effectively utilised in your environment.
Although it is not strictly our responsibility to tell you what PPE is best, we have had over 40 years of experience when it comes to PPE for drivers and operators in the Gas Industry. So we have come up with some recommendations below for both ladies and men working in this industry.
We know that refineries/terminals are becoming more stringent on the correct PPE being worn when loading gas, so it is important you have suitable PPE.
To discuss further with us please call 01280 841400 or email sales@hazchemsafety.com .
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