Better PPE for Glass Manufacturers

In the past, to attain the proper level of protection, cut resistant “sweaters” were made of hot, heavy, itchy materials, and many products had inconsistent sizing that left some employees unprotected in key areas. These sweaters often developed wear at the belly from pulling glass across the line, which meant the whole garment had to be discarded and replaced.  While the addition of aprons and/or chaps added durability, they were often heavy and ended up increasing the heat and discomfort.

Magid revolutionized the industry with new kinds of yarn and yarn wrapping techniques to create materials like our patented M-GARD® and AeroDex® that give you the best of both worlds. These new garments are up to 30% lighter overall, so they don’t trap as much heat against the body, they offer higher cut protection, and come at a significantly lower price!

Garments that used to top out around ANSI Level A7 cut protection are now available up to A9 in a garment that ranges from 15 to fully 30 percent lighter than what you may be using now.

These versatile tops are also available with ANSI Cut Level A5 Mesh backs for more airflow and heat dissipation.

Chaps and aprons made of the same AeroDex and M-GARD materials add less heat and weight to the body and are available with customizations for flexibility and added durability. Money-saving modifications like a special leather belly patch velcroed onto an apron’s wear point can be removed and replaced without discarding the whole garment, increasing overall wear life and cost effectiveness.

Finding gloves that won’t smudge glass, but still provide enough cut resistance to keep workers safe isn’t always easy. Many plants double-glove to achieve cut resistance from the inner glove and proper product handling from the outer glove. But this only increases your spend and makes workers hotter and less comfortable, leading to non-compliance, dropped product, and injuries.

New gloves developed specifically for glass handling eliminate double-gloving by providing some of the highest cut protection with glass-friendly palm coatings. These gloves provide excellent grip that won’t leave marks on the product. 

For window and door manufacturing, silicone coatings provide some heat resistance and won’t stick to hot melt adhesives like butyl. These gloves are lighter and more dexterous than what’s on the market, keeping people cooler, more comfortable, and less tempted to take off their gloves. Plus, they last over six times longer in these applications than the standard offerings on the market.

For raw and coated glass handling, Magid offers other glove options with a variety of choices in palm coatings and yarn constructions that specifically address concerns for these applications. Specially formulated non-marring crinkle latex coated work gloves provide up to ANSI Level A9 cut protection in a soft, flexible glove that won’t mar glass surfaces. Magid's exclusive VersaTek Grip™ palm coating actually adapts to different environments, allowing workers to move from gripping glass to other tasks without changing or removing their gloves. And VersaTek provides 50 percent more abrasion resistance than other common glove coatings. 

Scratchy cane mesh, sleeve materials that stretch out and sag, and sleeves that trap heat, making workers hot and miserable, are among the biggest complaints we hear in glass manufacturing. Pushing hot sleeves up or down is often the first thing workers do when they walk off the line, and sometimes the last thing they remember to correct when they come back from a break. Many sleeves also come in only one size with a hefty price tag, making your bottom line as miserable as your workers

Magid has innovated sleeves made with new materials including some with coreless yarns that reduce contact dermatitis irritation, and others that are lighter and cooler with higher cut resistance than many competitors. You can still get nylon mesh gauntlets for workers who need them, but now you can put them over a light, comfortable sleeve with protection as high as ANSI A9. Some of these sleeves are so light that workers had to try them to believe it!

Traditional body cooling products promise a lot, but often deliver little. Workers complain that cooling bandanas and other garments feel cool at first, but quickly end up with a slimy, warm feel from surface chemicals and body heat. So a worker who started the day with a refreshing cool on the neck is back to hot and unhappy with no way to refresh the cool and no help for keeping their temperature down.

New body cooling technology is a world away from those days thanks once again, to special material constructions. While these materials aren’t made to resist cuts, they do provide serious body cooling and refreshment for hours, even in the hottest environments.

Magid® Cool Powered by Mission® provides products made with HydroActive™ technology that harness the power of natural water evaporation rather than chemicals. Activated in less than 60 seconds with any temperature water, workers only need to wet, wring, and snap the fabric and it cools down to as low as 30 degrees below average body temperature and stays cool for up to two full hours. Your employees can reactivate the fabric over and over through the day to stay refreshed and comfortable. The product line includes cooling bandanas, neck gaiters/face coverings, microfiber towels, skull caps, and the max plus cooling towel.

For workers in environments with flame hazards, you can get all the benefits of Magid Cool plus flame resistance! The flame resistant technology never washes out and it meets ASTM F1506 standards and is NFPA 70E compliant.