Mark Levy, president of the Honeywell Life Safety business, says the acquisition completed Sept. 15 positions its 17,000 worldwide employees well for a global market where safety standards are quickly rising.
Sixteen companies win top honors in the magazine's second annual contest, with trophies and ribbons handed out Tuesday at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo in San Diego.
“Sperian Protection is an excellent fit for Honeywell,” said Mark S. Levy, president and CEO of Honeywell Life Safety. “With highly developed product lines, well-recognized brands, and a strong global distribution channel, Sperian complements and significantly strengthens Honeywell’s position in the personal protective equipment segment.
"Employees forget, don't care, get uncomfortable, and take it off at break or lunch. My job is to keep them safe from themselves all day."
In the same way the demand for respirators challenged manufacturers after H1N1 influenza was declared a pandemic, glove and apparel orders soared once the spill began.
Workers and safety managers increasingly seek footwear that provides metatarsal protection. Safety toe is still on top in sales, however.
The worker was fatally electrocuted when he grabbed the test leads on a shop-made cart the company used during the testing process of equipment the company manufactures.
The agency is seeking comment on, among other things, whether it should include an explicit reference to combustible dust or other hazardous material in the regulatory language of the final rule.
The latest semiannual regulatory agenda does not advance the rulemaking except to give an October 2010 date to complete analyzing comments submitted in 2008. EPA's agenda says NPRMs will be issued in July 2011 to enhance pesticide protection for applicators and agricultural workers.
"Get a grip: Stop slips & trips" includes a comprehensive checklist and advises users to remember the acronym SHOES for Spills, High-risk areas, Over-used signs, Environmental cleanliness, and Shoes.
Manufacturing a protective boot that can meet exacting national standards is challenging enough. When the relevant industry adds its own performance testing to the mix, as the aluminum smelter industry around the world has done, the challenge grows — but this happens for all the right reasons.
The International Apparel Federation and two allied organizations have organized a conference Tuesday in Paris about product safety and chemical safety regulations in the United States and the European Union, while, outside, the big Texworld 2010 conference takes place.
Breakout sessions during the March 2-3 stakeholder meeting in Pittsburgh will detail current research on protective clothing performance and help NIOSH do better at warning end users about counterfeit respirators. Dr. John Howard will be the keynote speaker.
The Finish Line Inc., an athletic footwear and apparel retailers, recently announced that through its "Sole Destination" program, approximately 92,500 pairs of gently used shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls, a charitable organization that distributes shoes free of charge to people in need throughout the world.
"For the companies, they have to be at this show if they want to be in the market," said Birgit Horn, A+A 2009 director.
Attendees from around the world are filling some of the lavish booths occupied by the largest PPE companies, including the Uvex unit of Sperian Protection, Honeywell Safety Products, MSA, Ansell, and more.
The Health and Safety Executive examined what footwear and flooring suppliers offer to end users in sales literature and online. No indication of slip resistance was given for 47 percent of the 1,304 footwear styles surveyed, and another 36 percent claimed to be slip resistant but provided no test data.
Today's protective footwear is fashionable, comfortable, and highly functional, with some lines offering anti-fatigue qualities plus protection against water, abrasion, slips, and oils. Still, the safety manager's educational role remains crucial in selecting the right boot or shoe for the hazard(s), Jim O'Connor, director of marketing for Timberland PRO, said in the following e-mail interview with the OH&S editor.
A follow-up OSHA visit found uninspected overhead cranes; uninspected lifting hooks; defective and unmarked lifting slings; unguarded live electrical parts; damaged electrode holders and insulation; incorrectly stored compressed gas cylinders; unmarked and unchecked fire extinguishers; and slipping hazards from an oil spill in a work area.
A newly posted Letter of Interpretation says the employer must provide it at no cost to employees who work with flammable liquids and products because the footwear provides additional protection and is designed for special use on the job.