Polyco gives a ‘helping hand’ to the waste and recycling industry!
Polyco’s guide to choosing the correct hand protection
The waste and recycling industry is one of the most dangerous environments to work in, as the recent mid-year statistics from the Health and Safety Executive confirm. In 2010/11 there were 9 fatal injuries1 and 350 major injuries reported in 2009/10 in the UK2. Although the number of accidents in the waste and recycling industry has fallen, the accident rate is still four times higher than the national average and twice as high as the rate reported by the high risk manufacturing and construction industries.3 For those who work in the waste and recycling industry, the potential danger that sharp objects, needles and other contaminates can pose is a concern that has to be faced daily. To protect workers against this threat, it is imperative that the correct safety equipment is provided, including protective gloves.
Sarah Bridge, Deputy Managing Director at Polyco comments: “Although hand injuries are not usually fatal, many do not consider the devastating effects that they can have on an individual. A puncture wound from an infected needle or an amputation can seriously affect a person’s quality of life and can restrict them from carrying out everyday tasks and even earning a living - something as simple as wearing appropriate hand protection can make a huge difference to your life.”
Assess the risks
There is an abundance of safety gloves on the market that offer protection against a variety of different hazards, it is therefore important to make sure that the correct form of hand protection is selected for the right hazard. A hand protection assessment survey can help by identifying a worker’s safety needs and providing information about the hazards and risks that will be encountered when working in different environments. A product trial is then recommended, this can be an effective way of including employees in the selection of hand protection and a subsequent survey collating worker’s feedback can be obtained. The information gathered can then be used to establish what type of glove is appropriate and the products each individual employee prefers.
Don’t Oversimplify
Advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques over the last few years have seen a significant development and improvement in the protection and comfort levels offered by personal protective equipment. Hand protection in particular has benefited from these advancements and the latest products are able to protect a user from a variety of dangerous hazards.
These can include puncture and cut resistance, protection against hot, cold and chemical hazards. Many of these hazards are present in the waste and recycling industry making it imperative that the hand protection provided will protect against the hazards workers will face in their duties.
Work together
It is important to make sure that employees are satisfied with the hand protection that have been provided, otherwise many will abandon their gloves, maybe because they are uncomfortable, inhibit movement or they experiance hand fatigue. This problem usually occurs when workers have not been consulted following a product trial or if the gloves have not been fitted correctly. It is also important that employees understand the importance of wearing and maintaining protective gloves and the problems that could occur if they are not worn.
Quality
The personal protective equipment (PPE) market has recently become swamped with counterfeit and illegal safety products that have not been tested to the standards required. It can be a temptation for businesses that are trying to cut back on spending to purchase what seems to be a quality product at a fraction of the price. However, these products usually fail the standard safety tests required and will not only pose a significant danger to the wearer but could also cost the employer legal fines and compensation fees. End users of PPE often find that they are unable to identify the sub standard materials used in the counterfeit and illegal items, it is therefore pivotal that PPE is purchased from trusted and genuine suppliers.
Polyco offers the most comprehensive range of hand protection available for the waste and recycling industry and is also the sole UK distributor of the HexArmor range of protective gloves, that are manufactured using SuperFabric material. SuperFabric technology is created using tiny guard plates that are adhered to high performance fabrics to provide superior protection against puncture, cut and abrasion injuries. In order to test the fabric for puncture resistance, manufacturers of HexArmor use a 25 gauge needle to test the material, as well as the usual testing equipment for EN388, the puncture resistance standard. This protection against hypodermic needles is especially important for those working in waste and recycling as workers unfortunately face the threat of a needle-stick injury on a regular basis.
Sarah Bridge continues: “The waste and recycling industry is growing and as processes change and new machinery is introduced its health and safety procedures must be adapted. It is therefore essential that employers make sure they keep up to date with the latest product developments and changes in legislation to ensure the highest level of safety for employees.
For further information about Polyco and its range of products please visit www.polyco.co.uk.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
1http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm?ebul=stats/jun-11&cr=01
2http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/hse-statistics2010waste.htm
3 ‘Waste-sector injury rate still too high’ (Safety and Health Practitioner, May 2009)
About BM Polyco Ltd
Founded in 1979, BM Polyco is the UK’s market leader in designing, developing and supplying high quality hand protection to the industrial, consumer and medical sectors and is now one of Europe’s leading glove companies. BM Polyco’s underlying success is based on the simple principal of continuous improvement including innovation, quality and service. In July 2010 BM Polyco acquired Bodyguards. The merger of these businesses has formed the largest supplier of industrial and medical hand protection in the European market.
The industrial product division, Polyco, offers a comprehensive selection of gloves including: cut resistant, general use, hot and cold handling, chemical resistant, disposable, critical environment, as well as specialist and niche products. Its commitment is to find cost effective solutions to customers hand protection needs with the ultimate glove solution providing ‘Enhanced Manual Dexterity’ – the ability to work better, faster and safer with BM Polyco gloves than without.
With the benefit of advanced and independently audited testing facilities on site, Polyco’s Quality Systems surpass any regulatory requirements and furthermore Polyco’s gloves are retested at point of distribution. Polyco is accredited to ISO9001; 2008 for PPE in conformity with the Personal Protective Equipment Directive 89/686/EEC.
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