Q: Does it matter whether I use a 6-volt barricade light or a 12-volt? What are the differences?
A: 6-volt light accepts one or two A batteries. With one battery the light will not function for long. It is better to put in two batteries, which will operate for 12-14 weeks. This light is better on battery consumption. The 12-volt lights are sometimes required by the local specs. If your specs call for a Class A flasher it must be 12 volt. The 12-volt takes two batteries and will operate for about 8 weeks. The 12-volt lights are brighter than the 6 volt.

Q: What is the difference between a Type I and Type II barricade?
A: Type I barricades must have a panel height of 8-12 inches; the width of the barricade must be at least 2 feet; the width of the stripes must be 6 inches; the overall height of the barricade must be three feet; the barricade must have reflective panel on each side. These are generally used on road and urban streets with speeds below 50 mph .
Type II barricades must have a panel hieght of 8-12 inches; the width of the panel must be at least 2 feet ; the width of the stripes must be 6 inches; the overall hieght of the barricade must be three feet; barricade must not have two reflectorized panel on each side. These are typically used for expressways, freeways and other high speed roads.

Cabinets

Q:Why are the unassembled compressed gas cabinets more expensive than the assembled cabinets?
A: The type of packaging required to ship an unassembled cabinet is much more expensive - it must be boxed or crated in a wooden crate. This is labor intensive as well as expensive for the packing materials.

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Clothing

Q: What type of coveralls work best for my needs?
A: This is very dependent upon what type of work you are doing and what you need to be protected from. For instance, if you are working in a dusty environment our Tyvek coveralls or our Proshield coveralls will both work. If you are working with chemicals please ask for advice from either our technical services dept. or from our sales department for a recommendation on the best coverall recommendation.

Q: What is the difference between Class I and Class II style traffic vests?
A: There are no current regulations in the United States that provide guidelines for design, performance of materials and use of high visibility apparel. However, ANSI/SEA107-1999 is the voluntary standard for high visibility safety apparel. This new standard fills the gap with performance specifications for background and reflective materials. ANSI/SEA 107-1999 specifies test methods and care labeling.
Class I style
This type of garment contains lower visibility requirements for workers who are well separated from traffic for situations where vehicle and equipment speeds are under 25mph. Typically, these are parking lot and warehouse environments.
Class IIstyle
These types of vests are medium visibility for workers who are on or near the roadways. They are recommended for traffic speeds from 25-50mph; for workers in urban/ suburban areas; road construction and maintenance, survey and utility crews plus EMS workers and traffic police.
Class III style
Highest visibility requirements for workers in high-risk situations who need to be visible through a full range of body motions from a minimum distance of 1,280 feet. These are typically recommended in areas where traffic speeds exceed 50mph; workers on highways and freeways; road construction and maintenance workers, utility and survey crews, plus EMS workers.

Confined Space

Q: What Type of gases are typically sampled in confined spaces?
A: OSHA 1910.146 requires that employees thest the space before entry with calibrated direct reading intrument for oxygen content, flammable gases and vapors and toxic gases. Appendix E specifically mentions corbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide as toxic gases potentialy present in sewer manholes. The toxic gases may vary depending on your confined space.

Q: How often should we calibrate air monitors?
A: OSHA specifies periodically.

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Drums

Q: What do the ratings on steel drums mean?
A: In a sample 1A2/x120/S:
1 indicates the type of container (in this case drum)
A indicates the material (in this case steel)
2 indicates that drum is open head
X indicates materials with serious hazards assigned to packing group 1
To obtain full details see DOT shipping group instructions.

Eye Protection

Q: What color is Expresso?
A: This is a brown, coffee colored lens - hence the description expresso.

Q: What is an indoor-outdoor lens?
A: This is a clear polycarbonate lens with a mirrored coating. This reduces glare when the wearer is outside and does not make it so dark inside that the employee is unable to see what he is doing.

Q: Do your safety glasses have UV protection?
A: Ultraviolet protection is permanently molded into our polycarbonate lenses providing better than 99.0% ultraviolet protection for UVA and UVB up to 385 nanometers with a clear lens up to 400 nanometers with a tinted lens.

Q: Do the windows come with the headgear when I order a face shield?
A: Some do and some do not. Our part #02269, 02273, 02310 and 02202 come with the windows. All others must be ordered separately.

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Eye Washes

Q: Can I use bottled eyewash for my facility?
A: ANSI Z358.1 detailed specifications for what type of eyewash/shower is required in your workplace. The bottled eyewashes are defined as personal eyewashes because they do not supply the minimum 15-minute flush required. Detailed provisions regarding the design, installation use and maintenance of this emergency equipment are contained in the ANSI Z358.1 1998.

Fall Protection

Q: Which harness is best for my needs?
A: All of our harnesses come with back D rings, which is where you should attach your lanyard or fall limiter for fall protection. Some of our harnesses come with front and side D rings as well. The front D ring is only used when the wearer is climbing a device such as the lad-safe device installed in a water tower or microwave tower. The side D rings are used in addition to the back D ring when the individual is in need of a positioning device such as when washing windows.

Fire Extinguishers

Q: How Many fire extinguishers do I need for my facility?
A: This will depend on what type of hazards your facility is rated at: low, ordinary or high. In addition, it will depend on how far you must travel to reach an extinguisher. NFPA 10 has detailed instructions on how to determine how many fire extinguishers you will need.

First Aid

Q: What type of first aid kits do I need for my facility?
A: OSHA indicates that the employer should consult with appropriate medical professionals, emergency rooms or local fire/rescue departments for input on what is needed for their particular place of employment. ANSI Z308.1 1998 has adopted minimum fill for the kits as well as an array of recommended products. They have also adopted performance standards for the cases.

Q: Do I need a prescription to use the first responder oxygen kit #08091.
A: Yes - you need a prescription to fill the kit as it comes without oxygen.

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Foot Protection

Q: When I order overboots how do I specify size?
A: Men: When ordering overboots order one size bigger than your normal shoe size. Women: Order two sizes smaller than your normal shoe size.

Gloves

Q: How do I know what size glove I need?
A: Direct Safety does provide a handy glove chart for your use in the catalog at the beginning of the glove section. Another way to determine your glove size is to measure the circumference of your hand between the thumb and the first finger. The number of inches around your hand will convert to a glove size. If your hand measures 8 inches choose a size 8. If gloves are sold in small, medium or large you should use a small for a size 7, medium for size 8, large for size 9 and extra large for size 10.

Q: What gloves will work with lacquer thinner?
A: Unfortunately, without knowing exactly what is in the lacquer thinner it is very difficult to make a recommendation. There is no common combination of ingredients. Our Technical Service department or our Sales department will be very happy to look up a glove recommendation if you provide the active ingredients.

Head Protection

Q: What is the difference between a ratchet adjustment and a pin adjustment?
A: A pin adjustment is similar to the adjustment one sees on a baseball cap. A ratchet has a knob on the back and sizing can be adjusted by turning the knob.

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Mirrors

Q: Does the hardware come with the mirrors?
A: The hardware comes with the mirrors - however you need to supply the hook, bolt or other attachment for your structure.

Respirators

Q: What kind of respirator do I use for dust and chemicals?
A: The type of respirator, cartridge and filter required are dependent upon the specific use of various chemicals and particulates. Asbestos and silica require one type of filter, while wood dust requires another. For optimal protection from hazardous material it is necessary to supply the use and the name of the active ingredients.

Q: How often should we change cartridges and filters on our respirators?
A: This is dependent on a number of factors. First, you need to know the parts per million of the contaminant in the work area. In addition, you need to know the length of exposure, the temperature in the work area, the relative humidity and the work rate of the employee. Then you can determine the life of the cartridge or filter.

Q: Can I put a prefilter on a P100 filter to keep it from becoming clogged up?
A: You cannot put a prefilter on a P100 filter. The P100 filter is the most efficient filter currently manufactured. Most manufacturers have also made their P100’s so that a prefilter cannot be attached.

Safety Cans

Q: What is the difference between a Type I and Type II safety can?
A: A Type I can has one opening in the can for both filling and pouring. Just like a milk jug, when you pour liquids from a Type I can this will result in a pattern of greater and lesser flow to allow for air to enter the can. A Type II can has two openings into the can - one for filling and one for pouring. In addition the Type II can comes with a flexible pour spout for more accuracy in pouring.

Spill Containment

Q: What are internal dimensions on the two-drum basin 571139?
A: The inside dimensions are 59 inches by 23.5 inches.

Q: What size of spill containment do I need to comply with the OSHA standards?
A: Actually, it is an EPA standard that you need to comply with. EPA requires that you be able to contain 110% of the largest container on the pallet. If your largest container is 55 gallons then you would need secondary containment, which could catch at least 60.5 gallons. The likelihood of more than one container leaking at the same time is small which is why you only need to contain 110% of the largest container.