For over two million years, knives have been used as tools for survival and sport. The modern knife, while retaining the same basic elements is very different from ancient implements. The shape of the blade wasn’t as important to our ancestors. Since they made their stone or flint blades by hitting them with rocks, they had to take what they got. Eventually, man figured out how to s...

Blade steel, the metal used to make blades for knives, is manufactured from a combination of elements that provide the specific features the manufacturer is looking for. Typically, the most common blend is iron and carbon with other materials like chromium, molybdenum, vanadium or manganese. When deciding which type of blade is best, the job it will be doing is the most important fact...

Kevlar is a synthetic material known as a polymer (aren't you glad you asked?). A Kevlar fiber is an array of molecules that are paralllel to each other like spaghetti in a package. These chains are held together by electrostatic forces between molecules known as hydrogen bonds. The fibers are drawn at a temperature over 750 degrees Fahrenheit. (If you must know, the actual chemical name of Kev...

FR refers to flame-resistant, fire-retardant, flame-retardant, or fire-resistant.  These have similar meanings.  Flame resistant fabrics are slow to ignite, burn more slowly, and may self-extinguish when the source of flame or heat is removed. According to the Huntington Beach Fire Dept. (CA):  Flame retardant  means that the fabric will burn slowly and may self-extinguish when the source of ...

Whether you work in construction, demolition, rescue, law enforcement, or in a junkyard (we know many office workers who'd admit to the latter), the last thing you want to do is step on a sharp object and know it without seeing it.  Other than singing the old tune, "we hate when that happens," WPS offers you a slew of shoes to ward off this evil.  Let us explain …That old standby, the Ame...

What does a fiber have to be happy about, you say? Well, if you walked around laden with silver, you might have a lot more going for you, too.That's right, X-Static materials have silver bound permanently into them. We're not kidding--they've been through 250 washings during testing without being affected. (The garments started coming apart, though, so we don't recommend this as a personal experim...

When you're buying a flashlight, like in our Pelican or Streamlight lines, or one of our headlamps, you sometimes want to know how bright it is.  Often the terms used to describe this can be confusing, so here it is--down and dirty:CANDLEPOWER is obvious--it's how bright a candle is ("radiance") right next to the candle. CANDELA is an alternate term for this.If you measured how bright the light...

Outerwear Shell FabricsCotton DuckNo fowl were hurt when making this material, but you can be assured Carhartt had only humans in mind when they constructed their coats and jacket using this stuff.A breathable, tightly woven fabric, the name comes from the Dutch word, "doek," meaning "canvas." Carhartt uses double yarn in this 12 ounce duck (also called "firm duck" since it's unwashed) for durabil...

Wool is a natural insulator, grown by sheep and other animals. Wool fibers consist of an inner core made of protein, which is covered by overlapping scales. The protein core absorbs up to 30% of its weight in moisture without becoming damp or clammy. The scales are durable and hard, reducing wear on the fibers and repelling liquids. The fibers are strong and elastic, usually wavy, or crimped. Wool...

Make sure your staff "measures up" by fitting their workwear correctly. Correct sizing is good for morale, and looking spiffy is good for public relations.SOME GUIDELINESHave employees wear their usual shirts, vests, etc. when fitting for jackets. And usual shoes if you're fitting for pants.Neck: Put your tape around the neck about where the Adam's apple is (or would be, for women). Don't tighten ...

We have a whole bunch of flashlights that feature these bulbs, so we thought you should know…Xenon is a rare, nonflammable, odorless gas. (More Than You Wanted To Know Department: the name comes from the Greek word, "xenos," meaning "strange.") Xenon bulbs are incandescent halogen bulbs with the gas xenon added to them.When a charge of electricity passes through this gas at low pressure (we...

It was in the 1930's, when trade relations between the US and Japan were going downhill, that Dupont decided to look for an alternative to silk.  In April of 1930, a lowly lab assistant, working with an ester (not your friend's sister-- it's an acid and an alcohol together), found a strong chemical that could be drawn into a fiber.  Unfortunately, it melted easily--not a good omen for summer clo...

If you loved alphabet soup as a child, you'll love this. Our old friends at ASTM decided on an arc test method to help you decide on the relative safety of flame-resistant garments to protect you from the heat and flame by-products of an arc flash accident.  (This has nothing to do with electric shock protection.) An arcing fault can release tremendous amounts of concentrated radiant energy in...

It's a voluntary standard for Personal Eye and Face Safety Devices.  Here are some of the requirements: Frames A High Mass Test is performed on four samples.  A 500 gm pointed projectile is dropped from a height of 130 cm (51.2 in). No parts or fragments of the protector can contact the eye of the headform. No failures are allowed. Twenty samples are tested with a High Velocity Test.  He...

Sure, you could pull on Grandma Tessie's old mittens if you're just going for a walk in the park (just don't rip them off the old dear's hands). But if you're on the job in the freezing cold, or working with machinery, chemicals or delicate cargo, you want to make sure you've got the right gloves for you. WPS already has the brands you need, like Carhartt Work Gloves, Mechanix Gloves, and Caim...

Unless you're James Bond, deciding to go to work each day (or night) is not generally expected to be a life-or-death decision. Even in our more dangerous occupations, we want the odds to be on our side. A major reason for this in the USA is the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which created the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. This lead to rules mandating Personal Protective...

LED's are semiconductor diodes that typically emit a single wavelength of light when charged with electricity. In English, more or less, this means electronic thingies using crystals where current flows only on one direction. And that's as technical as we're gonna get around here. However, you can find these technological marvels at Working Person's Store if you look at our Pelican Flashlights...

We sell footwear with both Steel and Composite Toes here, ranging from low cut shoes to tall boots. And they all meet appropriate safety standards. That being said, Composite Toes in Shoes and Boots can offer these possible advantages: 1) They do not conduct heat and cold as much as Steel Toes, so your toes may be a little warmer in frigid weather; 2) They can be a little lighter in weight tha...

Our friends at ANSI have approved three main classes of clothing regarding visibility: namely, Classes 1, 2, and 3 (surprised?). Actually, there is a class E that's only for trousers and shorts. When these are worn with Class 2 or 3 garments, they add up to Class 3 coverage. The higher the class number, the higher the visibility. This is based on the amount of background material (often bright...

Thinsulate is a microfiber material that insulates even when damp, and dries quickly. It's used in gloves, jackets, footwear and other clothes in different thicknesses. Measured in grams (per square meter), you have quite a choice at of weights at our Working Persons's Store. We prefer to err a little on the cautious side when it comes to manufacturerer's recommendations, and, of course, "yo...

When a handgun bullet strikes body armor, it is caught in a "web" of very strong fibers (like Kevlar). These fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is transmitted to the vest from the bullet, causing the bullet to deform or "mushroom". Additional energy is absorbed by each successive layer of material in the vest, until the bullet has been stopped. Because the fibers work together bo...

The main standards are for both impact protection and electrical insulation. Actually, there are two main types of ANSI impact standards for Hard Hats--creatively named Type I and Type II. In a nutshell, Type I impact protection covers mostly trouble coming from above your head, while Type II adds front, rear and side protection. (More on this later.) Regarding electrical shock resistance...

"Duck" in this sense, comes from "doek," a Dutch word for canvas cloth. Originally, canvas was made from hemp (yes, that hemp), but now most canvas involves cotton.  This type of material is tightly-woven, and made of plied yarns (so it doesn't twist on itself). It's so strong, it's been used for tents, sails and even straitjackets. Cotton duck is breathable and water-resistant. In clothing i...

Polycarbonate is a type of plastic (a thermoplastic polyester, if you really want to know). It's used in "bullet-proof" windows in addition to safety glasses because of its flexibility and strength. Since this material it gives a little, you could hammer a nail through a polycarbonate lense without it shattering. (You guesssed it--don't try this at home while wearing your glasses!) Traditional ...

A microscopic fungus causes athlete's foot. It lives on dead tissue of the hair, toenails and outer skin layers. Most commonly found in men from the teenage years to the early 50's, it thrives in warm, moist environments such as shoes and stockings. The fungus may also be fostered in the floors of public showers, locker rooms and swimming pools. It can be transmitted through contact with a cut or ...

Frostbite is caused by exposure of the body to the cold. Several factors contribute to the danger and severity of frostbite. The length of time exposed to the cold and the actual temperature outside make a big impact to the risk. The wind chill factor and the humidity in the air can also be important circumstances. High altitudes can even pose a danger. Wetness of clothing, shoes or body coverings...

A typical human body may carry around 12,000 to 35,000 volts of electrostatic charges. Conductive footwear provides a continuous grounding path between the human body and an ESD flooring. Conductive footwear is designed to keep you protected when potential hazards are present. Conductive footwear is designed to discharge static electricity from the body through your shoes into grounded floors. ...

You will begin to see safety toe standards transitioning from the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards to new standards known as ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world and a preeminent source for technical documentation for industries worldwide. Two of their tes...

Bunions are caused by a poor alignment of the foot and joint of the big toe. A bump develops on the inner side of the foot near the base of the first toe this is the bunion. The toe twists so that the inside edge touches the ground and the outside edge turns upward. In other words, it describes the deviation of the toe toward the outside of the foot. The inherited shape of the foot may predi...

Adapt this list of reminders to your working environment. Be sure to consider company policies and local, state, and Federal codes before establishing a written electrical safety program. Plan every job and think about what could go wrong. Use the right tools for the job. Use procedures, drawings, and other documents to do the job. Isolate equipment from energy sources. Identi...

Protective footwear is essential to ensure safe and healthy feet. Safety shoes and boots protect your feet, help prevent injuries to them, and reduce the severity of injuries that do occur in the workplace. According to the National Safety Council, only one out of four victims of job-related foot injury wear any type of safety shoe or boot. The remaining three are either unaware of the benefits of...

In ordinary circumstances, static electricity and ESD are little more than an annoyance. However, in an increasingly technological age, the familiar static shock we receive when walking across a carpet can be costly or dangerous. This same static discharge can ignite flammable mixtures and damage electronic components. Static electricity can attract contaminants in clean environments or cause prod...

Working with electricity can be dangerous. Engineers, electricians, linesmen, maintenance men, and other professionals work with electricity directly, including working on overhead lines, cable harnesses, and circuit assemblies. Others, such as office workers and salespeople work with electricity indirectly and may also be exposed to electrical hazards. Electricity has long been recognized as a se...

When your discussing footwear and foot protection, often the term podiatrist will come up. You may wonder what a podiatrist is exactly. Podiatrists specialize in medical care of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. They must have a doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.) degree from a college of podiatric medicine. They must pass written and oral board examinations and must obtain a state license to prac...

Founded in 1918, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a private, not-for-profit, membership organization that acts as a standards coordinating and approval body, not necessarily a standards developer. Its membership consists of individuals and organizations representing a wide range of interests including trade associations, labor unions, professional societies, standards developin...

Popular brands of athletic shoes, footwear with leather soles, and high heel shoes are typically not designed with the proper sole compounds, tread patterns and other properties that would make them slip-resistant in the work environments. Luckily, there are several footwear vendors that offer a wide range of popular styles with the slip resistant properties needed to reduce the chance of an emplo...

As the weather turns colder many people continue to work and play outdoors. For instance, hiking in the fall and winter can be extremely rewarding. It is important that working people keep themselves well dressed to keep safe from discomfort and even frostbite. When dressing for colder weather consider your internal thermostat. Some people usually run hot while others seem to always be cold…like...

Ingrown toenail are common, painful conditions that occur when the skin on the side of a toenail grows over the edge of thenail, or when the nail grows into the skin. Ingrown toenails can develop for many reasons: toenails that are too large; toes that curl (congenitally or from disease such as arthritis); trauma to the toes, such as stubbing a toe or having a toe stepped on; frequent running; in...

More than any other part of our body, our hands are the most likely to come in contact with hazardous materials or conditions on the job. Most work related accidents involving hands and arms could be classified under four main hazard categories: chemicals, abrasions, cutting, and heat. There are gloves available that can protect workers from any of these individual hazards or any combination there...

The toes may seem small and relatively insignificant, but they are vital to walking and working. There are at least six sets of muscles that control each toe. Two tendons join on the dorsal aspect (top) of the toes, and insert into the middle and distal phalanges of each toe. On the bottom (plantar aspect) of the toes are two more muscles that, instead of joining like the extensors, remain separat...

Like most of the body, the human foot is a biological masterpiece.  It is strong, flexible, and with its functional design your feet are able to do their job and do it well. That is, as long as you take good care of your feet. There are some simple things you can do everyday at home to keep your feet safe. Always wash and dry them daily. Check your feet for any corns, calluses or other abnorm...

The human foot and ankle are complex organs that work together to provide strength and flexibility. The ankle serves as a foundation that provides shock absorption. The foot can sustain enormous pressure and provides flexibility and resiliency. The foot and ankle contain: 26 bones (one-quarter of the bones in the human body);33 joints;more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments; anda network...

You are on your feet, working most of the day, so naturally your feet require specialized care. A doctor specializing in foot care is a podiatrist. He can contribute to your total health, starting at the feet. Whether you need regular preventive care or surgery to correct a deformity, information is the strongest weapon against foot ailments. In order to keep your feet healthy, be familiar wi...

When the body’s pancreas is unable to produce a hormone called insulin, which is essential for proper blood sugar utilization, it results in an autoimmune disease called diabetes. Those with diabetes cannot convert blood sugar into a form that can be used by the cells thereby resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels, circulatory problems and nerve damage. Unfortunately, diabetes cannot be...

WORKPLACE EYE SAFETY FACTS •  Every day, as many as 2,000 workers suffer eye injuries on the job. There were an estimated 97,000 workplace-related eye injuries treated in US hospital emergency rooms in 2002. •  As of 2003, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that eye injuries total more than $300 million a year in lost production time, medical expenses and worker compens...

When tight or narrow work shoes are worn, the body reacts to the pressure and friction by trying to protect the skin and the structures beneath it by forming hard and circular areas just like a kernel of corn. The areas can also become inflamed or ulcerated from the constant friction when they rub against each other. Of the two common types the wearing of improper-fitting shoes while working a...