It's time for our second safety themed geocache series. This
time around the theme is Hand Safety! We can't reach our goal of
ZERO injuries until we eliminate ALL hand injuries.
The physical cache is a nano magnet located adjacent to the
Sunnyvale Water Treatment ponds. Please keep in mind that there is
a healthy gopher snake population in the area, and at times the
bugs are thicker than the stench in the air.
The Hand Safety cache series was placed with your safety in
mind. If you're looking in the right spot today, you'll have no
need for cut resistant gloves, but a nice pair of leather gloves,
or mechanics gloves will help keep your hands clean and minimize
the chance of abrasion.
The goal of this cache is to familiarize you with cut resistant
glove selection, and to dispel some of the myths about cut
resistant gloves.
In the Beyond Safety workplace at NASA Ames Research Center
we're encouraged to use cut resistant gloves that use the EN 388
rating system because it gives us the cut resistance performance
level information we need when we're making glove selections for
our workforce.
Making the right choice can be confusing. Many/most gloves, are
not physically marked with the level of cut protection they
provide. This is often a sign that you've purchased a pair of
gloves with little or no cut resistance protection. In this case
the glove user is forced to make a glove selection without knowing
the true properties of the glove. In the Beyond Safety workplace at
Ames, we aim to do better. All gloves purchased in our workplace
will have either the ANSI or EN 388 (preferable) ratings clearly
marked on the gloves.
If you were to ask a group of people "Which has better cut
resistance, cotton or leather?" The answer is almost unanimously
"leather." But it’s actually not the case. Check out the
gallery for the picture entitled "Myths about Cut Resistance."
The number of cut resistant fabrics/materials to choose from
will seem endless when you begin searching for the right pair of
cut resistant gloves. Here are some of the many choices
you’ll have:
Kevlar
Terrycloth
Spectra Shell
Spandex
Patented Foam Nitrile
Textured Latex
Flex Tuff
Dyneema Ninja
Silicone-free Synthetic Yarn
Bi-Polymer Coating
Kevlar & Cotton Blends
PU Coated Dyneema
Nylon
Polyurethane
Foam Nitrile
Spectra Cut Resistant Yarn
Synthetic Blend Fiber
Dyneema and Lycra Blend
Hybrid Coating
Okay, so clearly it’s not possible for the average worker
(or safety professional) to make a glove selection choice based on
fabric/material type. To eliminate much of the confusion, ensure
that your gloves have been tested in accordance with ANSI or EN 388
standards, and that they have performance level ratings stamped
clearly on the gloves. To learn more about EN 388 I recommend that
you attempt to find the bonus multi-cache of the Hand Safety Series
entitled “Hand Safety – Mechanical Hazards.”
<\p>
Here's the entire Hand Safety series:
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 1 of 8 – Hand Safety –
Inattention Hazards
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 2 of 8 – Hand Safety – Rigging
Hazards
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 3 of 8 – Hand Safety – Just
Don’t Slip, Trip, or Fall
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 4 of 8 – Hand Safety – 100%
Glove Policy
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 5 of 8 – Hand Safety – Line of
Fire Hazards
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 6 of 8 – Hand Safety – 10 Hand
Hazards
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 7 of 8 – Hand Safety – Cut
Resistant Gloves
Bonus Multi-Cache!
Beyond
Safety Series #2 - Cache 8 of 8 – Hand Safety –
Mechanical Hazards
------------------------------------------------
Below are the links for the first Beyond Safety cache
series:
Beyond Safety Series #1 - Cache 1 of 6 – Hearing
Conservation
Beyond Safety Series #1 - Cache 2 of 6 - Eye and Face
Protection
Beyond Safety Series #1 - Cache 3 of 6 - Voluntary Protection
Program
Beyond Safety Series #1 - Cache 4 of 6 - BZ Walking Club
Beyond Safety Series #1 - Cache 5 of 6 - Earthquake
Preparedness
Beyond Safety Series #1 - Cache 6 of 6 - Slips, Trips, and
Falls