1. Hands are valuable but
also most vulnerable
News items such the following is rather distressing to read and is regrettably escalating:
“A worker sustained serious injuries to his right hand at a manufacturing plant in Epping this
morning after his hand became caught between two rollers of the machine he was operating at
the time.
The events leading up to the incident is unclear at this stage, but the worker, aged 42, was
working on the machine when his right hand got caught and pulled into the rolling mechanism.
The worker then activated the emergency stop button preventing the machine from doing any
further harm. Concerned co-workers rushed to the man‟s aid.
The machines rolling mechanism called for the top roller to be dismantled. Technicians later
lifted the top roller of the man‟s hand with the use of a crane, freeing the injured worker from
the machine. ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene and found the man in severe pain.
The man had sustained crushing injuries to his right hand, up to his wrist as well as a deep
laceration. Paramedics treated the man for his injuries and administered pain relieving
medication before transporting him to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
The incident will be investigated by the appropriate authority.” (Andre Visser, ER24)

2.  Hands are superbly designed tools of
amazing strength and dexterity. They can
pinch, grasp, twist, lift, hold and
manipulate while doing a wide variety of
other specific tasks.
 Hands together with wrists are a complex
system of bones, muscles and
tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and
nerves protected by layers of skin.

3.  A total of 27 hand and wrist bones are connected
to the muscles by tendons. Ligaments join bones
together and hold the joints in place.
 Blood vessels supply nourishment to all these
parts.
 Nerves convey sensations and help to control
hand and finger movements.
 The skin provides a barrier against
chemicals, heat and cold.
 Skin on the back of the hand is thin and elastic
and, on the palm, it is thick to provide
traction, cushioning and insulation.

4.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), hand injuries account for 1,080,000
emergency department visits by workers per year in the
United States. In fact, as part of the analysis done on body
parts injured in heavy industry, the hand was the number
one body part that was injured.
 Hand injuries resulting from cuts and puncture cost the
construction industry $382 million each year, this injury
figure is second only to back strain and sprain
injury, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS):
◦ 70 present of workers who experienced hand injuries were not
wearing gloves
◦ The remaining 30 present of injured workers did wear gloves, but
experienced injuries because the gloves were
inadequate, damaged or wrong for the type of hazard present

5. Workplace hazards and hand
injury prevention
 Hands are exposed to the following
workplace hazards:
◦ skin absorption of harmful substances
◦ severe cuts or lacerations
◦ severe abrasions or punctures
◦ chemical burns or thermal burns
◦ harmful temperature extremes
◦ vibrations (HAVS: Hand Arm Vibration
Syndrome)
◦ impact and blunt force

6.  In addition to the physical harm that hand
injuries pose to workers, these injuries also
take a financial toll.
 The average hand injury claim has now
exceeded $6,000, with each lost time
workers compensation claim reaching nearly
$7,500, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics and the National Safety Council.
 The overall drain on employee productivity
becomes apparent especially when you
consider that there are about 110,000
estimated lost time hand injuries every year.

7. Gloves save hands
 While glove use is not the only way to
protect against hand injuries, it is a
crucial component of any injury
prevention programme.
 A Liberty Mutual Research Institute for
Safety study found that wearing gloves
reduces hand injury risk by 60 present.

8.  Employers must do appropriate research
in order to select the right glove for the
workers‟ needs.
 Fortunately, advanced technology has
resulted in hand protection products that
meet specific needs while enhancing
worker comfort, dexterity and
productivity.

9.  Hand protection products are available,
for example, that offer up to 300 present
more abrasion and cut resistance than
leather gloves.
 Gloves are also offered that are form-
fitted with an ergonomic design that
enhances comfort and allows workers to
keep the gloves on throughout the day.

10.  Bramhope Safety Solutions has recently
announced hand protection innovations
introduced as a result of a partnership
formed with a Eureka, a Swedish family-
owned business and innovators who to focus
on quality and continuous improvement.
 Quality hand protection products are
manufactured at Eureka‟s factory in China
and raw materials are obtained from various
suppliers in Europe, Taiwan, Korea and
Japan.

11.  Bramhope Safety Solutions now offer
products in the following range:
◦ SupraCoat : high quality waterborne PU/Nitrile
foam
◦ SupraBlock Cut : unique cut resistant fibre
◦ SupraCoat Dry : strong and durable oil and water
repellence treatment
◦ SupraBlock 4u : durable synthetic leather
(microfiber fabric)
◦ SupraBlock Impact : excellent impact protection
◦ SupraBlock Stop : needle stick resistant fabric

12. Eureka 13-4 Edge Series
 NOT All CE Level 5 gloves are created equal. Many of these
gloves offer a minimal level of protection for industrial
applications. There is significant confusion in global
markets because many glove manufacturers misrepresent
how they test their gloves, and the standard doesn't
provide clear direction.
 The Eureka 13-4 Edge products are evaluated according to
EN388 / ISO 13997, the mandatory performance standard
for all gloves as standardised and regulated by the CEN.
 The cut-test method, called the Coup test, uses a constant
weight on a counter-rotating circular blade that is moved
back and forth across a sample by the test machine. The
ISO 13997 test is the recommended methods by the
EN388 standard to calibrate the cut resistance of high cut-
resistant materials.

13.  CE Level 5 gloves offer a wide array of
performance ranges. Some of these gloves
score as low as 1,000 grams (10
Newton), qualifying them barely for a Level 3
on the ASTM/ISEA scale.
 Note that the force required to cut through is
expressed as grams in the ASTM test and in
Newton in the ISO test. These numbers can
be converted for comparing the results on
these tests (100 grams = .98 Newton).

14.  The Eureka 13-4 Edge Series provides more
than 2.5 kg of cut resistance.
 This innovative product features advanced
knitting and construction which provide a
superior fit and comfort due to a sunk little
finger bottom, ergonomically shaped coating
and two-layer knitting that eliminates any
fiberglass in the vicinity of the hand.
 Furthermore, the 13-4 Edge Series is 100%
solvent free and available in Latex, textured
nitrile or SupraCoat.

15. The revolutionary Eureka 13-4
Edge Series from Bramhope Safety
Solutions

16. Eureka Puncture Assembly
 Many cuts begin with a puncture. Cut-
resistance tests are just one element of
what needs to be considered.
 Often punctures are misreported as cuts.
A sharp edge, corner or other protruding
hazard can penetrate the glove and
scrape or cut skin.

17.  With knit gloves, the hazard actually can
poke through the open knit and cut the
skin without cutting the glove.
 Depending on the density of the knit and
gauge of the glove (the measure of the
number of knitting needles per inch) and
the thickness of the fibres, a glove may
“window,” with the knit spreading
apart, thus allowing a sharp point or blade
to cut the hand.

18.  Plating with small guard plates can reduce
this effect as the plates shield the knit
structure from the hazards. The plates also
lock in the knit and don't allow the knit to
window.
 Bramhope Safety Solutions offers a solution
with ultra-tight woven Kevlar covered with an
advanced ceramic composite that provides an
EN388 Cut Level 5 protection against needles
and other protruding hazards.

19.  For industrial applications the 13-6 Heat
Nitrile is suitable as it is manufactured with a
knitted and nitrile-coated para-aramide
composite liner with puncture and needle
resistant palm.
 The 13-6 Heat Nitrile has the extra ordinary
cut resistance of EN388 Level 5 and a force
of 60N is required to cut through. The 13-6
Heat Nitrile is evaluated according to EN388 /
ISO 13997, the mandatory performance
standard for all gloves as standardised and
regulated by the CEN.

20. The Eureka Puncture Assembly is available in
red/grey colour, or all black fabric with grip
dots in black leather

21. Eureka 15-1 Assembly
Nitrile II
 The Nitrile glove provides barrier protection
without the hazards of latex allergy, designed
to shield working hands from specific
chemicals such as oil. An ultra-thin and solid
layer blocks oil penetration while the textured
nitrile foam protects the barrier and provides
an excellent grip.
 The exposed textile at the top of the hand is
protected by a high performance
fluorocarbon that provides excellent oil
repellence, yet allowing some breathing to
ensure comfort.

22.  Improved oil resistance
 Thin solid nitrile coating for best barrier
properties
 Nitrile foam for best grip
 SupraCoat Dry oil- and water repellent on
back
 Strong and moisture transporting Nylon
 Elastic tight fit

23. The Eureka 15-1 Assembly Nitrile II is
designed for precision handling in oily or dirty
environments

24. Eureka Impact Xtreme
Series
 This glove was designed for unimpeded function
and performance, providing a powerful defensive
layer of shock absorbing armour to protect your
hands and fingers from crushing injuries.
 The Eureka Impact Xtreme Series combines high
dexterity with a protection level 3-5 times higher
than traditional technologies through advanced
the uniquely designed SupraBlockImpact
material.
 A fitted „intelligent‟ foam layer provides up to five
times reduction of the bone shattering impact
compared to other gloves.

25.  The Eureka Impact Xtreme series
includes:
◦ Impact Xtreme Dry (standard style)
◦ Impact Xtreme Dry Grip (silicone grip)
◦ Impact Xtreme Wet (waterproof, PVC grip)
◦ Impact Xtreme Mud (waterproof, cut/needle
resistant, PVC grip)
◦ Impact Xtreme Winter (PVC grip, water proof)

26. The Eureka Impact Xtreme Series
is widely used in the mining
industry

27. Eureka 13-1 Clean
Assembly
 Bramhope Safety Solutions has introduced the new
Eureka 13-1 Clean Assembly glove for “clean-touch”
applications while offering the lowest possible
environmental impact.
 Wearing the appropriate barrier protection in food
handling and food service as well as medical
establishments is especially important in minimising
the spread of bacteria and protecting consumers.
 This product is silicon and fingerprint-free and is
manufactured from 100% recycled un-dyed polyester.
It is free from any emulsifiers, organic solvents and
most of the other chemicals found in standard rubber
gloves.

28. An innovative clean green product
– no environmental impact

29.  Too often we forget just how amazing and
vulnerable hands really are. Routinely
working with tools or machinery can
sometimes result in carelessness.
Although cutting-edge PPE (Personal
Protective Equipment) technologies offer
increased protection, employees need to
stay alert, be aware of hazards and work
safely at all times.

30.  Bramhope Safety Solutions is a specialist
importer/wholesaler, supplier and
dis-tributor of more than 17 000 CE
certified and ANSI approved safety
products through various re-sellers,
partners and retail outlets.
 With operations in 18 Afri-can countries,
Bramhope is the leading and fastest
growing supplier of personal protective
equipment across Africa.

31. Contact Bramhope Safety
Solutions on:
086 000 2726 / 086 00 BRAM
or +27 11 397 5075/6
or sales@bramhope.co.za or
visit www.bramhope.co.za