Gloves help business yield healthy bottom line

by EMI Supply, Inc.
This article was published on Saturday April 18, 2009.

Ironclad Gloves help improve safety and bottom line in the workplace

Gloves help business yield healthy bottom line

Glove maker helps Harmon Glass cut more than $1 million from worker’s compensation premiums

In the face of rising U.S. health care costs, an investment in a safe workplace has become more valuable than ever.

U.S. healthcare premiums increased an average of 11.2 percent in 2004 – the fourth consecutive year of double-digit increases, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust.

Businesses that are committed to maintaining a safe operating environment are reaping the rewards of a healthier bottom line as well as a healthier workforce, says Ed Jaeger president and CEO of Ironclad Performance Wear.

“Companies are demanding more advanced solutions to increase work performance and safety,” Jaeger said.  “They require solutions that not only increase workforce safety, but also improve profitability."

In 2003, Ironclad helped Minnesota-based Harmon Glass – the largest U.S. full-service building glass installation, maintenance and renovation company – reverse a major spike in costly hand injuries.

Cuts to the hand are one of the most frequent types of recordable hand injuries in the construction and manufacturing industry.  They represent more than 50 percent of claims.  Although most hand injury claims appear to be relatively insignificant, Harmon Glass found that the impact of these injuries had a dramatic effect on its business. 

“The perception of these claims as relatively minor incidents just isn’t accurate,” said Allan Burke, executive safety manager of Harmon Glass. “Even a single stitch in the hand constitutes a recordable injury, and a couple years ago our accident injury rates were going up as a result the spike in incidents.”

“The way we get our jobs is through a bidding system, and the current general contractors or owners that we bid to are very interested in what our accident rate is," he said. "If we’re starting to creep up or go over the SIC code average, they don’t take highly to it. And in the past, we’ve lost jobs because our injury rate is higher than what our SIC code average would be.”

When millions in lost potential revenue were traced back to accident rates, Burke saw that Harmon Glass was bleeding more than just medical costs with each hand injury. On average, each recordable hand injury cost the company more than $10,000.  Only $250 of that cost was related to the stitching of the cut.

In response to the injury spike, Burke implemented a company-wide mandate on use of Ironclad gloves for all glass installers – approximately 750 field and shop employees across the country.

After a year of Ironclad glove use, Harmon Glass reported a dramatic reduction in cuts to hands. The Ironclad glove mandate helped the company reduce hand injuries by more than 66 percent.  As a result, Harmon Glass’s accident rating improved to well below the SIC code average rating. 

As a result, Harmon Glass reduced its Workman’s Compensation premiums from $2 million annually, to $750,000. Harmon Glass’ investment in Ironclad high-performance work gloves ultimately grew the business’s bottom line.

With hand injuries now under control, the next trend Burke sees is an increase in sprains and strains. Harmon Glass has already begun implementing a local program of daily limbering exercises before workers begin their shifts.  With the right results, Burke says, the program could be expanded nationwide.

“This is going to be a tough nut to crack, and that’s based upon the nature of our business,” he said. “The work we do involves a lot of heavy lifting, and it tends to show. I don’t know how we’ll ever get away from handling glass in this business. It’s always good to have manipulators and use power equipment wherever you can, but there are times where you just can’t. That’s why we’ve committed ourselves to programs that better prepare our employees to work more safely in those situations.”

Ironclad Performance Wear, which created the performance work glove category in 1998, continues to lead the construction and industrial markets in innovation, technology, design, advanced material science and durability. Millions of Ironclad wearers swear by the performance and protection of their Ironclad gloves. Ironclad designs, manufactures and sells a comprehensive line of task-specific gloves, available at hardware stores, lumber yards, rental centers and industrial suppliers nationwide. To see the full line of Ironclad Performance Wear gloves or find an Authorized Ironclad Dealer, go to www.ironclad.com. Ironclad Performance Wear is headquartered at 12506 Beatrice Street, Los Angeles, California 90066.

Article provided by Ironclad Performance Wear.

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