Inventing PPE clothing that doesn't melt to your skin

Speaking to management and unionized staff at an East Coast utility company the other day, I learned the most remarkable thing that happened there: two employees came up with a new form of protective clothing to save field workers from burns!

It seems there was a growing rate of serious injuries with arc flashes associated with the utility industry. Any material that isn't cotton-based would literally melt to the employee's skin if the flash hit the person. This has been a real hazard for utility field workers around the world - for decades!

These two experienced employees decided to do their own R&D and discovered a better way to protectively clothe their coworkers dealing with arc flashes. Then they aproached management and presented their case, which required a significant investment. The clothing of thousands of workers would have to be changed. A quick decision was not possible, said management. But those two guys were not about to back down from their findings.

"They knew their innovation would save lives and prevent serious injuries," reflected the executive I chatted with. "It probably was important that these two men were not rookies - we might have dismissed their ideas if they had been younger. All they did was get the support of their peers and keep the pressure on us to spend the money and adjust our budget lines."

Inventors stay at the back of the room

The pressure paid off. The company agreed with the veteran employees' findings, and new, safer uniforms were made mandatory for every worker.

Ironically, when I spoke to this company's management, employees and union reps, the two inventors sat quietly at the back of the room. Neither one of them one wanted to be recognized; the simple fact that they made a real difference in the lives of their friends at work was good enough for them.

We are interested in knowing about more safety innovators who have impacted the workplace in your community. Maybe you've made your workplace a better place to be, or know someone who has? Please post your comment, in the space provided below.