HexArmor’s ability to design and engineer products that address the major areas of concern (cuts, ergonomics, compliance) has helped reduce injury in produce and meat departments, which has led to widespread adoption of the NXT® 10-302 as the premier solution at this large chain.
A need for different gloves
Employees in the meat and produce departments at a large national grocery chain were using standard Spectra cut gloves to handle knives and change cutting blades on machinery. The gloves provided some levels of cut protection, but the fiber-based gloves were bulky, ill-fitting, and scratchy, which caused problems with getting employees to actually wear the PPE.
The safety team was tasked with finding gloves that would offer a higher level of cut protection that were more comfortable and had higher dexterity in hopes of increased employee wear compliance.
HexArmor® was brought in to learn more about the issues at the store level and took surveys of actual end users.
The following issues were found with the Spectra gloves:
- Too bulky and ill-fitting
- Loose fingertips bunch up and get caught in machinery or get in the way of cutting
- Did not sanitize or wash well, gloves were easily discolored and retained odor
- Did not protect from accidental knife slips because the tip could penetrate between the fibers
HexArmor® introduces NXT® 10-302 as a solution to cut injuries and compliance
The results from the survey helped guide the recommendation to implement a large trial of the NXT® 10-302 in the meat and produce departments.
Gloves were used in various food preparation and machine maintenance applications, and the stores saw an immediate acceptance of the NXT® 10-302 as a highly comfortable solution that provided better protection than the Spectra gloves.
While using the NXT 10-302, all of the testing sites saw an increase in compliance, as well as longer usage and improved cut injury data.
“I like these gloves (NXT® 10-302) better than the old ones (Spectra). I feel safer and don’t have to worry about the extra material in the fingers getting caught in the slicer.”
– Deli department employee
44% reduction in cut injuries while using knives, maintaining machines
Data taken from 150 stores (over a period of one year) was aggregated to show the effect of the HexArmor NXT® 10-302 on the safety records of the unit. The NXT® 10-302 not only reduced cut injuries by 44% after the first year of use, but safety managers noticed an increase in compliance as the NXT® 10-302 was said to be much more comfortable, flexible, and dexterous.
Further trending shows injury rates will continue to drop as more and more stores adopt the NXT® 10-302. The grocery chain we worked with has purchased over 75,000 units over the first year of implementation.
Here are the reasons why HexArmor® was able to impact the safety program at this large grocery chain:
- Higher cut-resistance with ANSI/ISEA level A7 cut resistance
- SuperFabric® guard plates protect against knife slips and pointed kitchen hazards
- Coretek® fiber keeps hands cool and comfortable
- Washes better than the competition, sanitizable
Learn more about NXT® 10-302 gloves
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