Solid Safety Programs Protect Workers and Margins

There is an epidemic in the construction industry that is costing companies billions of dollars in lost revenue and workers their wellbeing. The good news? It’s largely preventable. Hand injuries resulting from cuts and punctures cost the construction industry $382 million each year. This doesn’t account for any other type of injury, just those two very specific hand injuries.

How can your company better protect workers and avoid hurting productivity and profitability?

Even in an economic downturn, it is proven that appropriate high-quality PPE is a smart investment. The right glove may cost a fraction more but can save tens of thousands of dollars just by preventing a single injury and bring higher employee morale. In fact, the average cost of a recordable hand injury is $17,000 and ranges anywhere from $2,000 for a minor cut requiring stitches to a $70,000 surgery for a severed tendon. And these costs are only for medical attention and do not take into account the negative impact of a lower TRIR score, higher insurance rates, lost time or other indirect costs.

So what should you look for in a safety glove for industrial contractors? Perhaps most important is finding a glove workers will wear. Safety gloves cannot protect if they are not worn, and 58% of construction industry workers perform tasks barehanded. Why do they leave the gloves in the truck? The answer is usually a lack of touch sensitivity or overall dexterity and comfort. These workers have to perform their tasks skillfully and quickly, and if bulky gloves get in the way of their task, they will ultimately offer no protection. All HexArmor® gloves are designed to enhance safety without hampering the work. High dexterity materials provide the finger flexibility needed for fine motor skills, and workers can feel the tools and equipment without being exposed to hazards.

Beyond dexterity and comfort, the following HexArmor® glove attributes are all designed to offer protection from a variety of hazards found on construction sites:

• Liquid/chemical protective coating - protects skin from rashes, burns and other unknown long-term effects of chemical exposure
• Cut/Puncture - protects from splinters, metal burrs, and wires
• Impact resistance – protects against dropped tools, smashes, and pinch hazards
• Grip – provides grip in wet and oily conditions
• Dexterity – allows workers to perform tasks unrestricted
• Abrasion resistance – increases durability and glove life

This blog post was originally published in HexArmor blog, April 2015.

If you have questions or need help finding HexArmor hand protection solutions, please feel free to call us at 800-829-9580, or visit us online at pksafety.com.