Stylish, from head to toe

HSE Solutions, the exclusive partner of Honeywell personal protective equipment (PPE) in sub-Saharan Africa, brought its stylish products to the A-OSH Expo. SHEQ MANAGEMENT learned more about its comprehensive offering.

HSE Solutions and Honeywell combined forces at the 2018 A-OSH Expo, which was held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand during May. The bright red, open-plan, interactive HSE Solutions exhibit gave delegates an opportunity to learn more about the full head-to-toe PPE range by Honeywell.

Donovan van der Schyf, marketing coordinator at HSE Solutions, noted that the company saw A-OSH as an opportunity to show its presence in the market. “HSE Solutions, in partnership with Honeywell, is at A-OSH for brand recognition and to showcase the diverse products on offer. Honeywell is the only global PPE supplier with such a wide range of products. It is a one-stop shop for head-to-toe PPE,” he explained.

Van der Schyf added that, while many PPE suppliers specialise in only one area of protective gear, Honeywell specialises in several products including eye, hearing, hand, respiratory, fall protection, gas detection, disposable clothing and breathalysers.

Aside from the wide range of products on offer, HSE Solutions also promoted its numerous added-benefit services such as site assessments and product training – all of which are offered free of charge.

Duane Basson, training and technical leader at HSE Solutions, commented: “We undertake a site assessment and then make recommendations. A client may already have PPE in place, but we might be able to offer something that is more comfortable, better for the user, or that offers superior protection.”

HSE Solutions assists its clients to find a more permanent, affordable solution. The full range of Honeywell PPE can be introduced over a period of time. “A client might phase in the product as a project. It’s not always something from which the benefits would be seen immediately, rather it’s something to aspire to. We take the product from safe, to safer, to safest,” Basson said.

A delegate at the A-OSH Expo tests the noise-cancelling Honeywell hearing protection, while another learns more about the Honeywell gas-detection devices provided by HSE Solutions.

Once an assessment has been completed, the client and an HSE Solutions distributor receive an unbiased report that simply identifies the PPE required. If a client decides to make use of Honeywell products, HSE Solutions will place the PPE on trial and assist with any training needed to correctly use and maintain the equipment.

During the trail, the client can give feedback on the product. Fitment tests ensure that the product fits the users, as employees are less likely to wear ill-fitting PPE.

“Oversized gloves are often an issue. The longer finger tips get stuck in machinery. This is why the assessment and the follow up are critical,” Van der Schyf explained.

Basson added: “We make sure the PPE is suitable for the application, that it fits the individual and is used correctly.”

Training clients to use Honeywell PPE is also an essential part of the services offered by HSE Solutions. “We might have a customer who blames the product, when, in fact, the product is being used in the incorrect application. Through training, we avoid this problem,” Basson stated.

HSE Solutions prides itself on offering stylish PPE. “We’ve realised that people don’t just want to wear PPE for protection, they also want to look good. Our products exceed the required standards, but are also stylish so that employees want to wear them. We even have people who wear our spectacles for running or cycling,” said Anton Hertenberger, distribution programme manager at HSE Solutions.

The HSE Solutions stand provided an idea of the variety of products on offer. Hearing protection ranges from disposable earplugs to high-end earmuffs with noise-cancellation and processes to communicate better.

Respiratory PPE starts out at basic disposable half-faced masks (with an added seal that fits snugly over the nose to avoid fogging up glasses) to full-face masks with optional escape and supplied-air solutions.

The Honeywell protective spectacles would easily sell in any high-end sunglass retailer and, along with the protective Honeywell googles and face masks, come with a variety of features such as ultra-violet (UV) protection, impact protection as well as anti-scratch and anti-fog layers. Employees with sight impairments can have prescription lenses attached to their spectacles for optimal comfort and vision.

Honeywell hand protection comes in different sizes for a variety of applications, from general abrasion, cut-and-tear protection to working with high-voltage electricity and chemicals.

The Honeywell fall-protection range, offered by HSE Solutions, includes anchor points, body harnesses and connectors. The harnesses have different webbing to choose from including stretchable, water-resistant and padded webbing with various hardware options.

HSE Solutions can also offer a 140-kg maximum weight capacity harness, although Van der Schyf advised companies to carefully consider the application before purchasing the harness. An employee working at height should ideally be in good shape and, along with their equipment, should weigh below the maximum weight.

HSE Solutions also promoted its Envitec AlcoQuant 6020 breathalyser and various gas-detection devices. The breathalyser has a passive and active mode. The passive mode gives a pass or fail reading, while the active mode determines the exact blood-alcohol level. The results can be printed out and logged on the device or optional PC printer software.

“The results are evidential, which means it can be used in a court of law,” Basson added. This allows a company to hold its employees accountable, while reducing the opportunity for tampering with the results.

The HSE Solutions gas-detection devices can be connected to a single platform that tracks all the connected devices and their status. This removes the responsibility of reporting a gas leak from the floor manager or individual workers and makes it the responsibility of the occupational health and safety officer and/or manager.

In one corner of the HSE Solutions stand, Optrel welding protective equipment was on display, which is also distributed by HSE Solutions in South Africa. The Optrel helmets have various benefits such as auto shade adjustment, flip shades and pumps to push fresh air into the sealed helmet through a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) system. “Optrel offers superior protection and comfort through world-class innovation, design and technology,” Basson concluded.