Lightweight & Cool PPE You Should Consider This Summer

SUMMER IS HERE, which means heat safety is likely back at the top of your priority list. With OSHA continuing to raise fines (this year by seven percent), and the National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards still in effect, it’s more important than ever to continue thinking about ways to protect workers from heat stress.

Lightweight and cool PPE is critical. Selecting your PPE with heat in mind can help keep workers protected from job-specific hazards, comfortable, and safe in the heat. The good news is that plenty of new technologies make finding and choosing PPE easier than ever.

Ease into summer and get the coolest, lightest, and most comfortable PPE by searching for these three things:

PPE manufacturers are offering new technologies that provide breathable protection for even the most dangerous job.

• Gloves made of materials specially engineered to make your skin feel cooler are available all the way up to ANSI Cut Level A9 and are more than 50% lighter compared to HPPE of an equal cut level.
• Impact gloves now feature venting systems and mesh construction that improve airflow by up to 60%. Select ANSI Impact Level 3 gloves provide heavy-duty, back-of-hand protection in a unique honeycomb ventilated design for maximum flexibility, along with nine times more airflow than a standard impact glove.
• For workers who suffer from skin irritation and contact dermatitis, cool-to-the-touch coreless technologies are available to provide relief. Infused with strength-enhancing microparticles, these materials are 30% lighter and achieve cut protection up to ANSI Level A6 without the weight and irritation caused by core materials such as fiberglass and steel.

Keep workers protected above the wrist while also helping them stay cool with sleeves that are lighter weight than ever before. Manufacturers are now making sleeves with materials that make them 50% lighter than traditional HPPE of the same cut level and are available all the way up to ANSI Cut Level A9 for extreme cut protection. Many sleeves also come with a thumb slot, a hook-and-loop closure, and a gusset bicep treatment which can help keep sleeves securely in place and allow for sleeves to easily be flexed and adjusted to fit most arms.

New PPE technologies can help keep workers cool throughout the day. Look for portable cooling PPE that can be reactivated and will keep workers cool without getting in the way of their job. For example, manufacturers have created chemical-free cooling PPE that can be activated and re-activated with water (even hot water!), cools up to 30 degrees below average body temperature in just seconds, and stays cool for up to two hours!

Jamie Bonnema is a safety writer at Magid – a U.S. manufacturer, innovator, and distributor of head-to-toe PPE since 1946. Magid recommends a simple 8-step process to create a heat safety program which can be accessed for free at magidglove.com. For more information about Magid’s safety products and expertise, visit their website or call 800-203-0417.