Choose your products with health and safety front of mind: Safety Built In
It’s all too easy to make price the deciding factor when buying new equipment, and even to buy safety products as an afterthought or ‘because you have to’. We think that your comfort and safety is worth much more than that - that you should choose your products with health and safety as top priority. So, we’re excited about Safety Built In, a new campaign from global technology experts 3M.
3M designs, manufactures, and supplies a huge range of products for use in every industry, with abrasives, filters, PPE, lubricants, tapes, marking and signage particularly useful in the agricultural, construction and forest and grasscare sectors.
Here, we look at what a difference it makes for your comfort, effort, productivity, and safety levels when you choose more advanced products in your everyday work.
Safety Built In was launched by 3M’s Abrasives department
So, it’s fitting that we look at one of the key new products in the abrasives range, the 3M Cubitron™ II Fiber Disc 982C. It’s a ceramic industrial abrasive disc, used on angle grinders for weld grinding, bevelling and edge chamfering, among other things. Its triangular-shaped grain fractures to create sharp points and edges while it’s in use, which means even wear and consistency in performance, and a faster cut. It also runs cooler and stays sharp for longer, lasting twice as long as conventional ceramic discs. That’s all about the performance and value for money, but what we’re looking at is how it affects the worker. One of 3Ms customers, BiFab, tested the 3M Cubitron™ II Fiber Disc 982C against its existing grinding discs. Removing a 125mm weld was cut by 61 seconds, as well as eliminate secondary finishing because the finish was far superior. The hand-arm vibration rate was massively reduced, too, which is important for both operator comfort, safety because of reduced fatigue, and productivity. In fact, previous abrasive discs could only be used by a worker for 2 hours a day at the maximum, because of the vibration. With the 3M Cubitron™ II Fiber Disc 982C, the vibration rate was so much lower that a worker would be allowed to use the tool for 5.3 hours a day – a 280% uplift in usage and productivity. Considering all the uses on site for constructing a wind farm, BiFab calculated that using this disc, as well as the Cubitron™ II Cut and Grind Wheels, gives an 800% boost to productivity, plus reduce noise and airborne dust levels.
Reducing dust in any environment also reduces all sorts of health risks for workers – whether that’s in construction, agriculture, or forestry and grasscare. Dust intake can cause short-term harm, such as skin and respiratory problems and even visual disturbances, and long-term damage in the form of asthma, pneumonia, skin, and lung cancer. The less dust that’s produced, the better other personal protective equipment such as masks and respirators will perform and the longer they’ll last, too. The quieter performance brings improved safety, comfort, and communication benefits, too. The 3M Cubitron™ II Fiber Disc 982C reduces noise by up to 75%, at up to 6dB quieter.
Which brings us to hearing protection, eye protection and masks and respirators.
Ultimate hearing protection
Any worker – on building sites, on working on the land – should wear hearing protection if they’re exposed to noise levels of 80 dB(A). Primarily this is about protecting the ears from internal damage but cutting noise exposure also brings reduced risk of accidents, fatigue, and communication breakdowns. Ear plugs are a vital form of protection, with numerous options available. One example available on the Kramp webshop is 3M’s Ultrafit™ earplugs. These attenuate to 32 decibels, are corded, washable, reusable and, thankfully, comfortable for most ears! Earmuffs are another commonly used item of hearing protection PPE and here 3M has a range of products that really do make managing and working in noisy environments far safer and more convenient.
The range is 3M™ PELTOR™. 3M supplies various comfortable and highly effective earmuffs, some designed specifically for use with welding helmets, but what caught our eyes – and ears – is the 3M™ PELTOR™ Communication Solutions range. Because the downside of good hearing protection from noise from machinery is that communication suffers, which can cut productivity, increase downtime, and increase the risk of accidents. And removing your ear protection for just 1% of the time you’re in a loud working environment means you could suffer hearing damage. Not with PELTOR™ headsets. These are earmuff hearing protectors with built-in radio communication. There are even models designed for use with specific visors and helmets.
The is 3M™ PELTOR™ LiteCom is the entry-level model, with 33dB noise attenuation, two-way radio communication across 8 channels and 38 subchannels, voice-operated transmission and menu system and – so important on a farm or when working in forests – a range of up to 3km.
The microphone on the LiteCom Plus is noise-cancelling and waterproof, offers even more radio channels, and a separate audio input to connect to other radios or even mobile phones.
Combined face, eye, head and hearing protection – with built-in communications
3M offers a huge range of respiratory protection, eye protection, visors, and helmets. What if you want to combine all those safety features with two-way radio communication? That really would be safety built in. The 3M™ Versaflo™ Helmets M-300 Series models, for example the Versaflo M-306 helmet + visor, are approved for use with 3M™ PELTOR™ LiteCom headsets. That’s fully integrated operator protection from impact, airborne dust, and grit, all without compromising on productivity or communication even across large distances. If you’re felling trees, cutting hedges, welding steel frames or any number of other jobs typical in agriculture and construction, can you think of anything more useful?
For a large range of 3M products designed to make your working environment safer and more productive at once, visit the Kramp webshop. Unsure which products are best for your particular situation? Your Kramp account manager will be happy to give you expert advice. Get in touch today.
