VIDEO: QUICK TIPS #15: Tyvek® PPE Suit Strength vs. Competitors

ANDREA HOWARD: Hello and welcome to QUICK TIPS from MSC Industrial Supply. Today we have an important tip from DuPont, designed to enhance worker safety with an ideal balance of protection, durability and comfort. They've come up with a very unique way to test their Tyvek protective apparel to make sure it keeps employees who work in the automotive, agriculture, utilities and many other industries safe.

Let's take a look. How can you be sure you're protecting workers against chemical and other workplace hazards? You shoot the material with a paint gun from 17 feet away. That's how. First, three paintball rounds were shot at some microporous film. And as you can see, it didn't do much protecting. Next, the team took three more shots, this time at some SMS fabric and it didn't do very well under these same circumstances.

So, how would the Tyvek 400 garment material hold up? Let's take a look. Three paintball shots, but this time a different result. Tyvek is an inherent barrier to particles as small as one micron in size. The protection offered is built into the fabric itself. Protection is throughout the fabric and does not rely on thin films or coatings.

It is lighter weight than most microporous film products, yet it provides superior abrasion resistance. And Tyvek breathes. It is generally six times or more breathable than microporous film fabrics, and that helps reduce the risk of heat stress. So you're more comfortable and more productive. For more information on DuPont's Tyvek line of protective apparel, visit www.mscdirect.com/dupont.

Thank you DuPont for this fantastic tip. Tyvek has the durability and protection you can expect, and an even more comfortable fit. And a quick tip from me: don't stand in front of a paintball gun. Ouch. See you next time on QUICK TIPS.