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Many employers prefer American-made personal protective equipment (PPE) because these items are usually high-quality and up-to-date with OSHA standards compliance. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes challenging to find PPE and products made in the U.S.A. U.S. manufacturing as a whole has declined since the late ’90s, mostly because American-made products have to compete with cheaper-priced products that are made overseas. However, American manufacturers have the advantage of lower shipping c …

When the oxygen content drops below 17%, but work has to go on, count on the PAS Lite SCBA system from Draeger. The PAS Lite is designed not just for breathing in dangerous atmospheres, but also for working in them. The components of the PAS Lite system work seamlessly together for comfort and extreme protection in some of the world's most dangerous work or rescue environments. The PAS Lite SCBA systems is comprised of a Draeger Panorama Nova P mask, a lung demand valve and hose, a 3 …

SCBA, or self-contained breathing apparatus, is critical for areas where the atmosphere just isn't fit to breath. Confined space workers and firefighters both utilize this equipment. But what happens when that equipment fails? If you are like a DeKalb Georgia firefighter in the news lately, you jump out of a second-story window. Firefighters say the problem with the Draeger equipment has been ongoing and the most recent malfunction is part of an ongoing problem. Draeger, on the other hand, …

Companies that have significant stores of ammonia or even waste treatment plants with chlorine run the risk of serious hazards if things go from all is normal to all heck breaking loose. Refrigeration plant operators, supervisors, and facility managers are all aware of the dangers, but in the heat of the moment well-placed safety equipment can make all the difference. Most folks who work in an ice or refrigeration plant or other facilities that store, use, or create byproducts of haz …

Some confined spaces just aren't fit to breath in. Respiratory protection, whether for work in a space with Immediate Danger to Life and Health (IDLH) or in a rescue operation where air filtering or purifying respirators are not an option, has two critical requirements: First, it must provide a clean air supply. Secondly, it cannot interfere with safe entry and exit from the space. The two types of breathing devices that fit these requirements are a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA …

Permit-Required Confined Space (PRCS) entry requires specialized equipment. That equipment needs to be on-site and close at hand in case of an emergency. Creating checklists of all the items that need to be included for workers to enter confined spaces can be as lifesaving as the equipment they itemize. Don’t trust your entry team’s lives to your memory of all the pieces of PPE required for entry. A simple checklist can create the types of routine surrounding PRCS entry that will avo …

We recently had a Pureflo representative in to refresh our memories about these great products. Pureflo helmets are powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) and are great for companies that need to supply respirators, but don’t want to fit test each employee. They are also comfortable and may be easier to wear in tight spaces where the traditional PAPR units with belts and hoses can be cumbersome. Pureflo helmets, because they have a motor pulling air into the helmet area, create les …