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On October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire occurred. The devastation killed more than 250 people, left 10,000 homeless, destroyed 17,400 structures, and burned over 2,000 acres of land. To commemorate the event, Fire Prevention Week was created in 1922 and sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association. After President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it a national observance in 1925, it's become a week-long event between October 9th and 15th designed to educate children, adults, and teachers a …

Wildfires are becoming increasingly common throughout the U.S. as temperatures rise year after year and conditions become more arid. Residents, businesses, and volunteers are often responsible for cleaning up wildfire debris, which can leave them vulnerable to health and safety hazards, including dust and airborne pollutants, structural hazards, mold, lead-based paint, and even asbestos. Many of these individuals do not have the proper waste disposal training. They need to wear the proper …

Noise is inevitable when you’re working with heavy-duty industrial equipment. But exposure to loud noises can lead to permanent hearing loss; these noises don’t have to be deafening to damage a person’s hearing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), workers shouldn’t be exposed to sounds exceeding 85 decibels for eight hours. That’s about as loud as a lawnmower or washing machine. If workers are exposed to more than 85 dBs of sound for eight hours on a time-weig …

More companies are aiming to make environmentally-friendly decisions to minimize the amount of natural resources used in their products and services. While consumers make choices for more sustainable options in their spending habits, manufacturers can also strike a balance with nature while still making quality products. MCR Safety has been committed to protecting people and the planet. For over 45 years, MCR has manufactured safety workwear and PPE that has kept workers safe, and have …

Accidents can still happen no matter how much foresight goes into a job to prevent them. For workers working at elevated heights, that accident could be a tool suddenly falling off a ledge, potentially striking someone below you. A falling tool or object can easily cause a serious injury or even death. If an eight-pound wrench falls 200 feet down, it can approach a speed of nearly 80 miles an hour—no matter how great your head protection is, that’s a lot of force in a very small area that a l …

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have discovered a new deadly occupational hazard in the United States known as “welder’s anthrax”. It is a special case of pneumonia that can be found in metal workers. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath (dyspnea), and coughing up blood (hemoptysis). Welder’s anthrax is caused by bacteria within the B. cereus group, the same one th …

Without the proper equipment, it’s difficult to know if certain atmospheric hazards like toxic gases are present because many are invisible, odorless, and tasteless. You may not even know if it’s toxic or explosive until it’s too late. Gas detection equipment is a lifesaver for workers and employers in industries where hazardous gasess are prevalent. PK Safety has recently added GfG (Good for Gas) Instrumentation’s portable and fixed gas detection systems lines to our lineup. GfG’s qual …

All kinds of industries use sandbags as a flood prevention technique. But flood bags can be extremely heavy and cumbersome, each weighing around 30 pounds. Some people may be unable to physically lift or move the bags, which reduces efficiency and complicates safety supply flood planning. But facilities can get the same protection from sandless flood bags. Ultra-Aqua flood bags weigh just one pound. They are made with super absorbent polymer instead of sand to prevent leaks and spills. T …

Safety is something that should be always trending. Personal protective equipment is designed to keep workers safe on the job and can be the one thing standing between a worker and serious injury. While workplaces will always carry the risk of injury, PPE will always evolve to meet the needs of today’s workers. As an industry leader and innovator, PK Safety is proud to be ahead of safety supply industry trends. We took a look at the trends that are shaping up for late 2022 and early 2023 ba …

A lot can change in 75 years. Take PK Safety, founded in 1947 by Eric L. Pedley and ship captain Josiah Knowles in San Francisco, CA. Back then, it was a Bay Area ship chandlery business under the name Pedley-Knowles and Company, but it would eventually shift into worker safety equipment and services.Eric was a known tinkerer who ended up inventing extremely durable safety nets. From this invention would come Pedley Nets, a manufacturing and sales alliance in Glen Ellen, California, formed with …