"The mud we spray gets everywhere and it is wet, thick, and can harm your skin. In my job, I help keep buildings safe from collapse in case of fire. In turn, Tyvek is my lifesaver, it helps keep me dry and limits the amount of harmful sludge that contacts my skin," said Turner, of Ontario, Canada.
He's the grand prize winner in DuPont Protection Technologies's online "Dirty Work" photo contest. Runners up include Robert Maddox, Dennis Rains and James White. The online contest demonstrated the many ways in which workers use Tyvek garments to help keep safe and clean on the job. From fireproofing material to grimy, filthy sludge, entrants shared with DuPont how their protective garments help provide comfortable and durable protection.
For the contest, entrants were asked to submit original photos of themselves wearing a Tyvek garment after completing their "dirty work." Entries were judged based on a variety of criteria including how well the garment and "dirty work" were portrayed in the photo. The photos can be seen here.
"We were very careful to choose winners who were wearing the Tyvek garments and other personal protective equipment correctly, and who were not photographed performing unsafe acts," said DuPont’s Dave Key, one of the judges. "We spent a lot of time looking at the photos."
Key said they received approximately 50 entries, and added he couldn't believe some of the photos. As the grand prize winner, Turner received a $2,500 American Express gift card.
Robert Maddox of DeRidder, La., was the first prize winner, receiving a $500 American Express gift card for his photo taken in a hooded Tyvek coverall, hard hat and gloves after cleaning a rail car. The job was so dirty that the operator had to spend 6 hours vacuuming material from the car.
The next two runners-up were Dennis Rains of Hixson, Tenn., and James White of Gonzales, Texas. Rains was covered nearly head to toe after cleaning out solids precipitated from a sulfuric acid pickling tank, while White submitted a photo of himself after changing out drums on the job at an oil refinery. Both Rains and White received $250 American Express gift cards.