NSC Expo Packed with New Products

Multi-purpose gloves and a new system for managing gas detection data highlight some of what's new

• By Laura Swift
• Nov 02, 2011

PHILADELPHIA -- The expansive expo hall of this year's National Safety Congress & Expo inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center is packed with new products of all sorts from more than a dozen countries, with U.S., Canadian, and Chinese companies exhibiting in large numbers. Exhibitors en masse say the attendance has been disappointing, however.

Several large pavilions of Chinese exhibitors' booths feature PPE offerings, mainly protective gloves and apparel. There are also exhibitors here from Pakistan, Italy, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Great Britain, the Slovak Republic, and Brazil.
 
Gas detection continues to be an innovative category, with Honeywell Analytics showing both the IQ Management System to help safety directors manage and utilize their detectors' logged data and the ImpactXTreme, a portable six-gas monitor with Intelliflash, which causes the monitor to flash a visible red or green signal that indicates whether or not the device has been calibrated as required. Draeger's X-Zone 500 mobile, wireless fenceline system is another eye-catching monitoring device.

New protective gloves and apparel products being exhibited include Ansell's multi-purpose Powerflex, a glove offering cut resistance, an arc rating, grip, and some chemical resistance. 3M is offering a new line of disposable Protective Coveralls that protect against liquid splashes, sprays, and dusts. Salisbury by Honeywell's lighter 40-cal suit weighs only 6.5 pounds, versus 9 pounds for a standard suit with that level of FR protection.
 
DBI SALA's new products include the Nano-Lok self-retracting lifeline series. These ergonomically designed lifelines come in single and twin leg configurations, weigh just 1.6 pounds, have a 420-pound capacity, and can connect directly to most harnesses, stopping a fall within inches. "Everybody likes it a lot. It's the smallest and lightest. We're expecting big things out of it," said Tim Maroushek, global product director for Capital Safety. Capital Safety also displayed a new ExoFit NEX(TM) arc flash harness line that is already very popular with utilities, said Nate Bohmbach, soft goods product manager. Capital Safety's booth displayed the company's newest brand, Uniline, which resulted from the acquisition of a British company, Uniline Safety Systems, which was a market leader in engineered fall protection systems.

As usual, Ergodyne's NSC booth was filled with pulsulating music, customers, and an array of innovative new products. The latest ones include Skullerz bump caps with or without LED lights and new gloves with OutDry technology, which uses a patented lamination process to bond a waterproof membrane to the inside of the gloves' outer shell. It's the most advanced waterproof/windproof technology available, according to the company.

Cintas’ new services include delivering hearing protection equipment, hearing testing, and hearing training for clients. The company has partnered with Examinetics Inc., which provides mobile occupational health screenings, training, and recordkeeping services. Senior Marketing Manager Nancy Peterson said this new service allows employers to keep up with OSHA’s hearing protection guidelines and track employee testing across multiple locations.