VIDEO: Creating a Safer Workplace with MCR Safety

Narrator:

Welcome to Creating a Safer Workplace by MSC Direct featuring the web series "Nothing Stops U.S. Manufacturing. Conversations with Safety Professionals in the Field." Here's your host Anthony Testa.

Anthony Testa:

I'm joined today by Chris Smith, Director of Marketing for MCR Safety, one of the premier manufacturers of PPE. And Chris, I just want to have a conversation with you about what is really the driving force behind MCR and their innovation to market for PPE products?

Chris Smith:

We have the only ISO certified testing lab in the U.S. that is certified to the ANSI 105 test method to make sure that we're bringing product to market that not only states that it's a Cut Level A4, a Cut Level A6, that it says as you know that actually backs up the claim that it's an ANSI high-impact ready glove. We've got all this testing facilities in house so we can take new fibers, we can take new products and make sure that we're putting product out there that is not only innovative but also is safe because, let's face it, our industry's changing. Your customers are changing, they're identifying new processes, new technologies, and with that we have to keep our product, our PPE, changing and adapting to their changing environment as well.

Testa:

Give me some examples of some of the innovations that you've been able to bring to market with MCR, some of the technology that you've innovated over the years, and what you guys give me a little bit of a glimpse behind the scenes, behind that curtain on what's coming out in the very near future.

Smith:

Through our manufacturing and what you're going to see come forth down the future will be products that are lighter weight, finer dexterity and stronger fibers and then also we utilize our capabilities from eye and face protection by putting out some of the newest technologies when it comes to anti-fog. You're going to see and you probably have seen recently MCR Safety launched the first ever UV anti-fog technology. And again, it ties back to us having products that you can take to market that not only protects our workers but also protects our planet.

Testa:

As more and more people in the workforce are forced to wear masks right, so disposal masks or those cloth masks, how important is it for that you know the anti-fog technology that you're just you referenced before, how important is that now more than ever and what have you done to like really get it to that next level?

Smith:

Extremely, extremely important. One of the biggest issues when wearing respirators or face masks in general is the fogging concern and with our UVA AF anti-fog and, more importantly, our Max 6 anti-fog coating systems that's available in your lineup today and when you think about safety, you never want to remove a set of PPE from your body if you can help it unless you're going on break or ending your shift. The minute you take off a safety glass or the minute you take off a glove is when an injury can occur. There's the OSHA puts out stats you know the average injury a day is around 3,000 eye injuries a day. And it's everything from small micro-particles to chemical issues and if we can allow that user to keep their protective eyewear on their face while they're keeping staying safe from the current Covid situations then I think it's a win-win.

Testa:

We know MCR makes great products right, that's the backbone of who MCR Safety is, but let's talk a little bit about let's shift this conversation a little bit about the assessments that you can provide to the end user and also provide that cost-savings documentation. Can we talk a little bit about that and just give me that process that your team works through along with the distributor partner?

Smith:

For sure, yes, we have a dual system called the MCR Safety 360 and the reason why I say it's dual because we have adapted to the virtual environment as well so we can perform this assessment in person if a facility will allow us to, or we can perform it virtually utilizing Zoom and some of the latest software out there right today for video chat and this process is a five-step process and it basically starts out in an evaluation phase – measure, analyze, execute and protect – and through that five-step process we are looking at multiple aspects as we are going through and really analyzing a user's hazards, analyzing their job functions, and analyzing their injury rates, and we do that through this cost calculator and it and what it does it analyzes both indirect savings as well as direct savings. Through this 360 analysis I can show you that that product will last two to one, three to one, four to one, five to one, depending on the job task by utilizing some of this newest technology that's out there. But it's a great tool from an overarching standpoint to look at an entire scope of what are you using today, how is it protecting your employees, how safe is it, are you having injuries, and let's analyze it through our five-step process.

Testa:

So just explain to me a little bit about so someone's a little bit reluctant about letting MSC and MCR in the door to do a safety assessment. How do they go about doing either we can help them do a self-assessment or we can do something I think you mentioned before, you can do it virtually? 

Smith:

Crrect, yeah, so we do have our 360 tool that's available in a standard PDF format that will allow your customer to print it off and basically walk them through step by step. The other method that you mention is virtually and whether we do that through Facetime, Teams, WebEx, Zoom, whatever you know avenue, we have the ability to do that and so if a user, if a safety manager is willing to let us physically see a process, then we can on the fly give them a recommendation right there on the spot and then at that point we can prepare the 360 information, prepare the report and submit a sample request and partner with MSC to make sure that those samples are delivered and make sure they're tested, trialed and analyzed to make sure that was the right suggested product for that application.

Testa:

So Chris, let's talk a little bit about the, and I hate this term, that the quote unquote new normal right, so what does that mean to MCR in terms of how you have to rethink the PPE world and what are you as a manufacturer doing to either enhance those products or bring more products to life in this quote unquote new normal beyond just the traditional PPE?

Smith:

The smartest method is to find a product that you can sanitize and ultimately try to get a reuse out of it. That's what we're looking at from a product development standpoint because that seems to be the part of the driving force right now is how do I get reusable PPE that I can still protect my employees with and then and that they know they have peace of mind that it's been sanitized and that it's that they can reuse it? 

Testa:

Yeah, I mean if you just tie that back to that we our discussion before about cost savings right so that's one of the key elements I mean people from a disposable standpoint that gets fairly expensive very quickly right especially in today's environment where you see a lot of the disposables in anything right so if you're seeing that those prices rise in the market, coming and doing something with a reusable and so like you mentioned that can be disinfected is a homerun for the end user.

Smith:

Yes, yes right. Agree.

Testa:

Chris, you're a passionate guy what motivates Chris Smith to say you know what, I love this and I want to keep people safe?

Smith:

I had an end user walk up to us at a trade show and shook my hand and just said you know I just want to tell you that MCR Safety you had a salesperson that visited me and solved an issue that I have been facing for 30 plus years. I have not been able to find a glove that I could perform my job with. I've had multiple manufacturers in here and nothing, everything failed, but you guys found a solution and because of that I'm able to feel things with my hand that I haven't been able to feel before because the calluses are gone. I can hold my wife's hand, I can hold my grandkid's hand because my hands are not tender, they're not sensitive from working all day with them. So when people ask me what I do, I don't tell them I'm a glove manufacturer or I'm a glass manufacturer, I tell them I'm a... What do you do for a living Chris? We protect people, I protect people and we do that through avenues of utilizing PPE glove, glass and garments to do that so those are a couple examples that I personally had and there's many more but that's why I wake up every morning and come to work with a smile because I know that somebody's gonna wear our product and somebody's gonna stay safer because of it.

Testa:

That's awesome. Chris, I want to thank you very much for joining us today. This is a great conversation. I wish you all the best. Make sure you stay safe please. This was Anthony Testa. Thank you very much for joining us today for MSC's Nothing Stops U.S. Manufacturing series. Thanks.

Narrator:

Follow us at mscdirect.com for future episodes and more information on operating in our new normal.