Gloves Protect Hand against Dropped Snowplow Blades
“On January 4, 2010, I was unloading snow plow blades when a bundle slipped and dropped on my right hand,” recounted warehouseman George Kingsley in a note to MCR Safety. “The blades weigh 60 pounds each, and there are 10 in a bundle.
“When the glove was cut off, the doctor was amazed the fingers were still attached and there were not any broken bones. They said the gloves took most of the damage. I will continue to use your product for years to come.
“We sometimes take our hands for granted,” Kingsley said. “That is until something like this occurs. As it is, I still have the use of all my fingers and will have full use of that hand within a few weeks. Again, thank you and your staff for a superior product.”
For wearing the company's gloves in a situation that could have cost him the use of his right hand, Kingsley was honored with the “MCR Safety Quality of Life Award.”
Fasguard 900 series work gloves by MCR Safety, Memphis, Tenn., www.mcrsafety.com.
Chief Credits PPE with Saving Life of Arizona Fire Fighter
A metro Phoenix area fireman lived through a horrific mobile home blaze to fight another day thanks to his personal protective equipment.
Twenty-six-year-old Marcus Haynes was conducting a sweep of the burning mobile home on Oct. 13, 2009, when the fire flared up and flames swallowed him, FireRescue1.com reported. Haynes' gear saved his life, Buckeye, Ariz., Fire Department Deputy Chief Paul Carmen told Phoenix' KPHO-CBS 5 News.
“Is (his) coat functional anymore? No, but it served its purpose,” Carmen said, adding that Haynes' gloves were hard as a rock, and that his breathing system remained intact.
“He did not have to inhale any toxic gases and/or superheated gases that would have likely killed him,” Carmen reported.
Police at the scene said that the fireman suffered first- and second-degree burns on his hands and one arm, none of which was life-threatening, and he was treated at Phoenix' Maricopa Medical Center.
Protection Update welcomes contributions from readers for our regular “Safety Equipment Works for You” feature. Email examples of where PPE has saved workers' lives or prevented injuries to Editor Joe Walker, [email protected], or mail them to the Editor, Protection Update, International Safety Equipment Association, 1901 N. Moore Street, Suite 808, Arlington, VA 22209. Photos are welcome.