Knit sleeve technologies, such as Kevlar®, have been around for years in steel plants. However, they offer little to no puncture protection and get hot and sweaty. They also end up falling down like a tube sock, exposing workers' arms to hazards on the job site.
Most lacerations begin with a puncture
The fact is, a lot of industrial injuries occur with an initial puncture and lead to a cut or laceration injury. With knit (Kevlar®) arm guards, hazards can actually poke through the open knit and cut the skin without cutting the arm guard. How does this happen?
Depending on the density of the knit, the gauge (the measure of the number of knitting needles per inch), and the thickness of the fibers, a guard may “window” and allow the knit to spread apart. This “windowing” can allow a sharp point or blade to penetrate the arm guard and cut the forearm.
Plating with small guard plates, such as in HexArmor® products that use SuperFabric® brand materials, reduces this effect as the plates shield the knit structure from the hazards. The plates also lock in the knit and don’t allow the knit to window as in traditional arm guards.
60% cost savings by switching to HexArmor®
In addition to the greater degree of cut and puncture protection, implementing HexArmor® arm protection can create cost savings of up to 60%.
HexArmor® conducted a study based on a metal fabrication plant with 200 employees. This plant was averaging 6 lacerations per year with an associated cost of $11,000.
By implementing HexArmor® 9" cut resistant sleeve AG10009S, they eliminated these injuries for an annual savings of $66,000. Additionally, the extended wear life of the HexArmor® arm guards reduced their monthly average cost per employee from $9.85 to $4.09.
HexArmor’s mission is to send every worker home safe, every day, by providing purpose-built designed to help prevent life-changing injuries and save big on medical expenses.
Learn more about HexArmor's arm protection
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