Valmet, a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation, and services for the pulp, paper, and energy industries, needed a PPE change at one of its locations. See how HexArmor® helped get their workers into the right gloves, safety eyewear, and hearing protection that increased compliance and morale.
The issue
Matt, a Regional Health, Safety, and Environmental Manager at Valmet, reached out to HexArmor® with several PPE issues that needed addressing, including gloves, eyewear, and hearing.
Gloves
- The need for proper hand protection was a major concern, as each department had specific glove needs.
- In the blade department, sharp blades are handled by operators throughout the day, so a durable glove with proper cut protection was needed.
- In general use areas, a glove was needed that would provide puncture resistance as well as cut.
- In the building department, a glove was needed that would provide puncture, cut, and impact protection while handling power tools and sharp objects.
Eyewear
Georgia summer heat in the warehouse combined with body heat and work processes were causing safety glasses to fog up dramatically, impairing vision and causing incompliance as workers took off their protection.
Hearing
In addition to needing better protective options, the plant floor needed an easier, more hygienic way to dispense earplugs due to the high volume of earplugs being used.
The solution
With HexArmor’s help, several PPE options were chosen to trial, and the company was able to find the protection they needed per application.
“It was a simple task for HexArmor to find us a solution.” – Matt
Gloves
The Chrome SLT® 4060, the Helix® 3050, and the Helix® 2068X gloves were chosen with options that provided complete protection against cuts, punctures, abrasions, and impacts, depending on the application.
During the trial, each glove style was able to be used for over a month with no rips, tears, or issues of any kind – lasting and holding up much longer than their previous pair.
For gloves: Matt said, “It didn’t take long to find the perfect pairs thanks to the amazing HexArmor team and their knowledge!”
Eyewear
Two HexArmor® safety eyewear styles were chosen for their overall anti-fog, comfort, and protection, the MX300 in TruShield® 2SF and TruShield,® and the MX200 in TruShield® 2SF. The TruShield® 2SF coating includes dual action anti-fog on the interior and exterior of the lens, ideal for direct fog or steam environments.
“Once we ordered the glasses, we couldn’t give them out fast enough. Everyone wanted a pair. They are comfortable, the design is stylish while still offering complete protection. Employees are happy to wear PPE now.”
Designed for the perfect balance of comfort, fit, performance, and style, our fundamentally different safety eyewear delivers unrivaled permanent anti-fog and scratch-resistance coatings, a mix of hard and soft components for comfort, and lasting durability.
Hearing
The Turn2® magnetic dispenser along with accuFit® 300 pair/refill in size medium was recommended for its decibel needs as well as ease of vending.
The ease of use was a huge appeal of the Turn2® dispenser for both the user and distributor. The magnetic back allows the dispenser to be placed almost anywhere in the plant, and the controlled release system keeps the earplugs clean by dispensing one at a time, eliminating a mess on the floor.
As for the distributor, where before a vending machine had to be refilled every few days in a time-intensive process of adding little individual packets, now all they have to do is open two boxes of accuFit® to refill the dispenser.
“HexArmor hearing is easy [to use], comfortable, and didn’t cause a huge mess, which makes my life easier.”
The result
Increased morale – Before HexArmor,® employees didn’t feel like management cared enough to get quality PPE. Matt said, “Once we introduced this PPE to the facility, the morale doubled overnight.
Everyone wanted a new pair of gloves because they knew they would protect them, even office personnel. We were having lacerations weekly until we switched to HA gloves, we haven’t had one since (4 months).”
Cost savings – With HexArmor,® employees kept the same pair of glasses and gloves longer, reducing the cost compared to purchasing cheaper PPE.
Employees were getting a new pair of non-HexArmor glasses every 3 days at a cost of $3.00 averaging to $6.00 a week ($24.00 a month). Now employees are getting one pair of glasses (MX200s) at half that cost, and we are expecting to only spend that over the course of 3 months per employee.
Cost of eyewear per employee over three months:
Increased compliance – Before HexArmor,® workers had to be constantly reminded to wear the provided PPE. Now, Matt says, “We don’t have to remind them now. They enjoy wearing it.”
Extra notes about HexArmor® – When asked about HexArmor,® Matt said, “The staff is extremely knowledgeable and follow up to ensure you feel 100% taken care of. My experience with HexArmor has been better than I could have ever hoped for. Fast, timely response, plenty of trials to ensure you get the best fit for your processes.”
“The product they provide is top shelf and will speak for itself! It’s durable, dependable, comfortable, and stylish. It will hold up to the harsh environments of manufacturing, chemicals, manual handling, and whatever else you throw at it. When the last thing you want to do is add PPE to your employees, employees are definitely going to want to wear HexArmor!”
Browse HexArmor's safety products
Download PDF
Don’t forget to share this post!