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A while back, my car broke down as I was driving through tule fog in California's San Joaquin Valley. As I sat on the shoulder waiting for help, I wondered if the huge 18-wheelers on the freeway - let alone the tow truck I had called - would be able to see me. Not a good place to be! So after I straightened things out and got home, I looked into getting some signal lights for my car. I had a few big musts. The lights had to be super dependable, easy to mount on my trunk, and tough as he …

You probably don't think of your knees unless they give you trouble. But if your job involves a lot of kneeling, you need to think ahead. Continuous pressure on your knees is a risk factor for chronic injuries like prepatellar bursitis and cartilage damage. Thankfully prevention is easy: get padding! Chances are if you ask around about knee padding, you'll run into someone who is fanatical about ErgoKneel pads. This brand has a cult following for several reasons, but m …

Capital Safety is recalling a series of Protecta Y-shaped lanyards produced between July 2010 and October 31, 2011. The snap hook attached to the back D-ring on these models has a flaw that could potentially cause it to fail and separate from the D-ring. Though no injuries resulting from the problem have been reported, we strongly suggest discontinuing use of all affected products and returning them to Capital Safety for a replacement. The following products are affected: 1340141: …

When you're only worried about hydrogen sulfide exposure, bulky monitors with multiple filters and functions just get in the way. That's why experienced workers depend on BW Clip Extreme H2S Monitor every single day: it keeps things simple. Indeed, it's hard to find a simpler H2S detector. You turn the Gas Alert on once, and it stays on for the for the entire span of its two year battery life. It can't be turned off, so you never have to worry about turning it off accidentally. Yo …

These great headphones have three main objectives: to sound good, to keep good sound in, and to keep bad sound out. Many headphones on the market these days don't adequately dampen background noise, and as a consequence people often blast the volume and unwittingly damage their hearing. And here at PK Safety, we are against that type of behavior. The good news is that Howard Leight's Sync Stereo Headphones can counter even the worst noise pollution you'll ever encounter. That's be …

With Halloween just around the corner, it's high time to start thinking about costume and party ideas! PK Safety receives quite a bit of business from Halloween party-goers during this time of the year, and we're always amazed by the creative uses people find for our products. In this post, we'll review a handful of items that have been popular in the past. Construction worker costumes seem to be a hit because they're comfortable and can be put together right out of the box. Start with …

We get this question regularly. The answer is as unique as the person calling. Typically, the customer has tried a few drug store variety earplugs, so I usually recommend disposable foam ear plugs. These offer the most noise reduction of any ear protector and are more compact than any earmuff, which is critical for comfort. But not all foam earplugs are created equal. There are two important factors to consider, and they have a direct impact on comfort: the size (diameter) of the e …

A common inquiry from customers concerns protection from mold exposure, particularly when trying to clean up or get rid of mold. Our focus will be on choosing respirator and filters. First, we should probably say that there are a couple of considerations. Some people are simply more sensitive to mold than others and even small exposures will make them ill. Second, not all mold is created equal. Some forms, Stachybotrys chartarum (often referred to as black mold) can have severe health c …

There is nothing worse than getting yourself all decked out for a job—sorting your ropes out, tying off and donning your harness (preferably in the right order)—hitting the work site only to realize it’s covered by a cloud of mosquitoes. Bugs are an unavoidable force of nature, a constant threat of irritation and distraction, as well as a genuine health hazard. So when you’re on the job, insect repellant can be a lifesaver, making the difference between getting a job done, going home an …

"Why don't employers give their workers the best respiratory protection?" This is a question that we run into all the time. It basically comes down to two issues: fit testing and cost. Fit Testing Many employers believe that if they are not offering an approved mask to their workers, they don’t need to worry about fit testing. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. Since the only way to know for sure that a mask is doing its job is through fit testing, OSHA makes it a mandatory part …