NOTE: The HexArmor® i3 impact protection technology referenced in this case study has been rigorously tested and third-party validated to the ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 impact protection standard. It is currently in pre-launch status and will be available soon.

In late 2023, a leader in the distillery industry approached HexLabs with a growing concern: workers were experiencing severe hand injuries, such as crushes, fractures, and amputations, while wearing cut-resistant competitive gloves.  

After trying multiple glove solutions, the company turned to HexArmor®. Our gloves had stood out in previous trials with the company, but we knew more could be done to help understand why and how the injuries were happening – especially with impact-related injuries.  

The HexLabs team set out to deliver clear, test-based data that would evaluate whether advanced impact protection could reduce injury severity in one of the most demanding environments in the industry – barrel handling.

The ask: Replicating a rickhouse

The company was skeptical about new gloves and sought answers: Were impact-resistant gloves truly effective in reducing injury severity, or were they just another layer of PPE that wouldn’t make a difference in their high-hazard environment?  

HexLabs was tasked with replicating ten recordable impact-related injuries in the lab that had taken place over the past several years at the distillery. 

To do that, the HexLab team needed to go beyond lab conditions – they had to build a real-life test environment that accurately mirrored a distillery floor. With the help from the distillery team, HexLabs was able to transform the in-house lab into a makeshift rickhouse.  

The distillery supplied the HexLab team with a full-scale rick (the wooden storage structure used in barrel aging) and three empty bourbon barrels from their production line (we know… we were bummed they were empty, too.). 

But this wasn’t just a basic mockup; it was a full physical reconstruction of the spaces and conditions where the injuries actually happened. Every detail mattered. Our team reviewed employee training materials, hand placement guidance, and operational protocols to accurately recreate the exact hazards workers faced on a day-to-day basis to test PPE in the most realistic way possible.  

The result? A one-of-a-kind testing setup that replicated real-world risks down to the last detail, and a clear demonstration of how far we’re willing to go to help solve our customers’ toughest safety challenges.  

Injury breakdown: Understanding the risks 

A review of the distillery's ten recordable hand injuries over an eight-year span identified three primary types:  

• Impact injuries: Fingers struck between two colliding barrels 
• Shear injuries: Fingers are caught between moving barrels and fixed rick posts or rails (like a scissor action, but far more severe)  
• Crush injuries: Fingers pinned under rolling barrels 

Most of these injuries occurred because workers instinctively placed their hands in the high-risk zones to gain leverage when maneuvering heavy barrels, despite clear safety guidelines.  

The hand placement protocols provided by the distillery identified green zones (safe for handling) and red/yellow zones (danger zones to avoid). However, during testing, HexLabs found that achieving the necessary leverage to move a 500+ pound barrel often forced workers to place their hands in high-risk red zones, leading to increased injury exposure.  

Despite safety guidelines, avoiding these zones was difficult in practice, which is exactly where impact protection could play a key role in protecting workers’ hands. 

Impact vs. Shear vs. Crush: Testing the role of impact resistance 

HexLabs tested different types of gloves to evaluate protection levels against impact–related forces using barrels the distillery sent over. The barrels were large, 23.5 inches wide by 35.5 inches high, and weighed 536 pounds when full of water. 

To ensure consistent and accurate results, HexLabs conducted three test scenarios with the three types of impact-related injuries, or hazard types, including impact, shear, and crush.   

Using custom synthetic fingers modeled after human anatomy and embedded with load sensors, the HexLab team simulated each injury scenario by placing the gloved synthetic hand in real-world danger zones that simulate the hazard types.  

Injury scenarios 

1. Scenario 1: Without impact protection 
2. Scenario 2: With ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 Level 1 impact resistance using HexArmor’s impact resistance 
3. Scenario 3: With ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 Level 3 impact resistance using HexArmor’s i3 technology

Hazard types 

Hazard type - Impact: Fingers were positioned between two barrels to replicate a barrel-to-barrel strike. 

Hazard type - Shear: Fingers were placed between a barrel and a rick post to simulate crushing along a fixed surface. 

Hazard type - Crush: A barrel was rolled over the gloved synthetic finger to replicate the weight and motion of a real-world barrel roll incident. 

This method allowed our team to capture reliable average data for force transmission, injury severity, and potential medical outcomes. To see the exact force from impact for each test, download the data appendix below.  

Real-world impact testing: What we found  

After HexLabs tested different glove configurations with the synthetic fingers to evaluate impact protection levels, we looked at the surgical risk associated with each injury and the cost to the employer.  

The data presented below is an average across four strikes as stated above.  

Impact injuries: Fingers struck between two colliding barrels (barrel-to-barrel strikes) 

• Hands without impact resistance: High risk of amputation (90%) with nearly all injuries requiring surgical correction. Estimated cost per injury: $250,000. 
• Hands with Level 1 impact resistance: Risk of severe injury remains high, with compound fractures and lacerations still requiring surgery. Estimated cost per injury: $250,000 
• Hands with HexArmor® i3 Level 3 impact protection: Amputation risk reduced by 99%. Injuries were limited to dislocations and minor lacerations, with little to no need for surgery. Estimated cost per injury: $48,000. 

Takeaways: Standard gloves do little to prevent catastrophic injuries from barrel-to-barrel impact. The HexArmor® i3 Level 3 impact protection drastically reduced the severity of the injury with little to no risk of surgery. 

Shear injuries: Fingers caught between barrels and rick posts/rails 

• Hands without impact protection: A 100% chance of amputation when fingers are caught between a barrel and a post. Estimated employer cost: $4 million across multiple injuries + lifetime damage.  
• Hands with Level 1 impact protection gloves: Amputation risk reduced slightly, but fractures and severe lacerations still occur. Estimated cost: $2.2 million with high risk of lifetime damage. 
• Hands with HexArmor® i3 Level 3 impact protection gloves: No amputations recorded. Injuries were limited to fractures and lacerations, significantly reducing medical intervention. Estimated cost: $1.2 million with very low risk of lifetime damage.  

Takeaways: Shear injuries are by far the most devastating, with high risks for life-changing injuries. Standard gloves provide very little protection against the dangers of shear injuries. HexLabs found that upgrading to high-performance HexArmor® i3 Level 3 impact gloves could reduce employer liability by 85%. 

Crush injuries: Fingers pinned under rolling barrels 

Disclaimer: HexLabs did not record the energies of crush testing. 

• Hands without impact protection: Fingers crushed under a 536-pound barrel resulted in compound fractures and deep lacerations, requiring surgery. 
• Hands with HexArmor i3 Level 3 impact protection gloves: Injuries were reduced to minor cuts. No fractures. No need for surgery. 

Takeaways: When dealing with rolling barrels, the HexArmor® i3 Level 3 impact protection makes a life-changing difference. It prevents serious injuries that would otherwise result in prolonged recovery times and costly medical procedures. 

Safety math: HexArmor’s impact tech saves both livelihoods and money 

The National Safety Council estimates that non-surgical hand-related injuries cost employers between $30,000 and $40,000 per event. A hand injury requiring surgery can skyrocket into the high six-figure range.  

Considering just barrel-to-barrel strikes, where force exceeded 350 joules per event, HexLabs confirmed that 90% of these injuries would require surgery. 

11 incidents x $280,000 per event = $3,080,000 in employer costs. 

By implementing HexArmor® i3 Level 3 impact technology, HexLabs estimates liability would be reduced to one in 11 events requiring medical attention, cutting employer costs by over $3 million. 

HexArmor® can help 

The results are clear: Standard gloves are not enough. With sufficient data to back up the claims, HexLabs proved that impact protection does make a difference in drastically reducing workplace injuries – and HexLabs even tested and created new i3™ impact-resistant protection. 

But what really sets us apart isn’t just the tech. It’s the mindset. 

We rebuilt an entire rickhouse in our lab to mimic the exact conditions of these particular distillery workers - something the entire bourbon industry faces every day. The HexLab team ran dozens of tests, replicated real-world injuries, and engineered custom synthetic hands just to make sure that the data was correct. That level of effort isn’t the exception here – it's the standard. 

HexArmor® partners with companies that take safety as seriously as we do. When the problem gets complex, we roll up our sleeves and get to work – because solving safety challenges is what we do best. 

Does your PPE protect you from the hazards of your work environment? Our Solution Specialists are ready to help. Call 1.877.MY ARMOR or send us a message. 

For more information on testing methods and materials used, download the PDF version below (APPENDIX INCLUDED):