Hoover Candy chooses coveralls from 3M
August 29th 2008 Celebrating 100 years of trading this year, Hoover Candy is a household name. Part of the Hoover Candy Group, it employs more than 1350 people in the UK alone.
Many of the employees of the Hoover Candy Group work within environments that demand personal protective equipment (PPE), for example paint spraying plants. An essential component of the PPE that they are required to wear is a protective coverall, mainly to protect against contamination of paints and dusts.
In the past workers wore boiler suits. However, these were heavy and workers at the Hoover Candy plants often have to operate in hot environments. The heavy fabric caused sweating, making the suits uncomfortable if worn for long periods.
Chris Roberts, buyer for Hoover Candy explains: “It became clear that we needed to look at the different options that were available to us in terms of coveralls. We tried out quite a few different ones from different manufacturers and 3M came out as the clear winner. Although they are not the cheapest option, we found that they are by far the strongest, lasting longer than the other protective suits we trialled.”
3M protective coveralls have certain core features:
• Elasticated hood, waist and ankles for convenient safe wear and freedom of movement
• Two-way zip with storm flap for extra convenience and protection from contaminants
• Knitted or elasticated cuffs for increased wearer comfort
Chris continues: “Our employees found that coveralls from 3M were the most comfortable as they are made from breathable fabric, meaning that wearers don’t sweat so much.”
Diversified technology company 3M launched its protective coveralls in 2006. The collection was designed to ensure that the wearer will stay protected, whilst the breathable soft fabrics ensure comfort. This addition to 3M’s range of high performance personal protective equipment quickly became well-established in the market place.
Disposable protective coveralls are used extensively in the workplace for a variety of tasks; from guarding against dust, to protection from harmful toxic chemicals or infectious body fluids. Whatever the situation, it is vital that a thorough risk assessment is carried out to ensure that the correct suit is selected. The sorts of considerations to take into account include:
• identification of the hazard
• the exposure conditions
• working environment
• the length of time the suit will be worn.
The 3M range has been designed to ensure that the wearer will stay protected, while the breathable soft fabrics ensure the wearer remains comfortable.
There are four coveralls in the collection which have been carefully designed to suit a variety of applications:
3M 4520 Type 5/6 Protective Coveralls (white with green triangle) – Lightweight Protection for all day comfort
This protective coverall is made of the latest breathable material technology. It is suitable for a host of applications. With elasticated hood, waist, cuffs and ankles, and a two-way zip, convenience and freedom of movement is ensured.
Typical applications:
• Light duty maintenance
• Asbestos handling
• Abattoirs / Farming
• Construction work
• Wood / Metal processing.
3M 4530 Type 5/6 Protective Coverall (blue with white triangle) – Breathable and Comfortable
This is for comfortable wear, providing excellent protection against hazardous dusts and liquid splashes.
Typical applications:
• Food or Wood processing
• Metal processing
• Light-duty industrial cleaning and maintenance
3M 4540 Type 5/6 Protective Coverall (white with blue triangle) – Combined Performance and Comfort
This offers increased robustness and is low linting. It also offers protection against hazardous dusts (including radioactive particulates) and liquid chemical splashes. The 4540 has a breathable back panel for improved air circulation.
Typical applications:
• Paint spraying
• Asbestos handling
• Metal processing
• Light duty industrial cleaning and maintenance
• Pharmaceutical processing
3M 4560 Type 4/5/6 Protective Coverall (white with red taped seams) – Extra Protection and Durability
Whilst this also offers excellent robustness and is low linting, it has taped seams across the suit for Type 4 protection. It is suitable for biological protection (meets EN14126).
Typical applications:
• Pesticide spraying
• Asbestos stripping
• Chemical mixing and preparation
• Protection against infectious agents (e.g. Avian flu).
For further information or for your FREE trial pack containing 20 coveralls visit www.3M.co.uk/ohes/coveralls or call 0870 60 800 60 in the UK or 1-800 320 500 in Ireland. AND, YOU CAN WIN A MONTH'S WORTH OF FREE 3M COVERALLS ACROSS THE RANGE!!
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