Fall 2009 Table of Contents

Training is an essential part of every safety program. Crew training provides an opportunity to focus on workplace hazards, operations, procedures, tools, equipment, and employees' attitudes. There are two basic types of safety training: formal and what we call 'tailgate' meetings. Read more

Readers may recall that when Ford Motor Co. retooled its Super Duty line of big F-Series pickups in 2007, it also fell into a contract dispute with International Truck and Engine, the outsource manufacturer for Ford's much-touted new 6.4-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engines. International temporarily halted shipments of the engines and both parties went to court to straighten it all out. Read more

Walk around any jobsite on any given day–even the ones with well-trained and experienced work crews–and you are likely to see some relatively unsafe setup or dangerous situation waiting for trouble. Workers who know better will overlook safety because they think 'I'm just going onto the roof for a couple of minutes' or 'I've just got to make this one cut' or 'we'll have this framed in right after lunch–so let's leave it open.' Then, during lunch, it starts raining hard and everyone rushes to get their tools into the trailer and head home, leaving an unguarded stair opening or uncovered chimney hole waiting for somebody else to step through it. Read more

Falls are one of leading causes of death among construction workers. In 2004, 1,224 construction workers died on the job, with 36 percent or 440 of those fatalities resulting from falls. Most falls are caused by uneven working surfaces, misuse of fall protection equipment, and human error. Studies have shown that the use of guardrails, fall arrest systems, covers, and controlled access zones can prevent many of these deaths and injuries. Read more

Ladders haven't changed much in the last decade; workers are still getting hurt on them. This "classic" remains as relevant as ever. Read more

Training is an essential part of every safety program. Crew training provides an opportunity to focus on workplace hazards, operations, procedures, tools, equipment, and employees' attitudes. There are two basic types of safety training: formal and what we call 'tailgate' meetings. Read more

Chris Dutra first began working for Bostitch in channel marketing and then in product development before landing in business development. Eventually he moved to a competitor, where he essentially reinvented the entire pneumatics industry. The innovative product and manufacturing strategies he implemented generated a bevy of feature-rich, affordable products and put more nailers in more hands than ever before. The pneumatic fastening industry has been playing catch-up ever since. Read more

With the economy poised for a comeback in 2010, toolmakers are just now rolling out their latest innovations to meet the anticipated demand. Every year at this time, the Read more

Stretch clamps are provided to help pull the miter together and keep the two members making the joint from rotating around the single pocket screw. The stretch clamps are a great product all by themselves and will find other uses apart from the Mitertite application. Read more

Makita is bringing its high-pressure nailer line to the U.S., and we were the first framing crew in the country to get our hands on its framing and siding coil nailers and brand-new 400-psi compressor. High-pressure nailers are more common in Japan, where the affinity for efficiency and compactness drives a lot of product designs. Makita's models have been available there for about three years; they were released in Europe last year. Now it's our turn. Read more

The faltering truck and auto industry in the United States has provided an opening for an all-new entry into the pickup competition here – the first-ever passenger vehicle to be imported from India. Read more

Ergonomic Angle Grinder / Lightweight Corded Circ Saw Read more

I know it's hard to stop scrambling in this business, with the constant crush to line up work, get the work done, and then get paid when you finish. But if there's ever a time to pause and focus, it's when it comes to assuring job-site safety for your crews, subs, and suppliers. Through these efforts, you'll help assure the well-being of your workers and the security of your business. Anyone I've ever spoken to who's suffered a serious injury or loss on his site has been haunted by it. And nobody – especially in these tight times – can afford to fork over hard-earned profits to pay an OSHA fine for a safety infraction that could have been avoided. Read more

Elvex Go-Specs GG-40C-FF protect against dust, sand, cement, and chemical particles, according to the manufacturer. Read more

BucketBoss's 95000 Kneepads weigh 2.3 pounds a pair and feature Gel-Dome technology. Read more

Howard Leight's Clarity earplugs – with a SoftFlange seal – protect hearing in environments of 95 dB or lower. Read more

3M's reusable 2200 Series filters have a three-layer filtration design that enables easier breathing while providing the same level of filtration performance as the traditional five-layer filter, says the maker. Read more

The Custom TechnaCurv Harness from MSA North America features a patented curvilinear comfort system that combines curved neck and torso webbing with an adjustable Y Back D-Locator pad. Read more

The Wiley X Jake safety glasses are made with High Velocity Selenite polycarbonate (scratch-resistant) lenses and nearly unbreakable nylon frames, says the maker. Read more

SensGard's Hardhat Adaptor clips to the back of almost any hardhat to attach the SensGard SG 26 or SG 31 hearing-protection device. Read more

The US Safety Intruder goggles offer splash, dust, and impact protection and meet ANSI Z87.1 and CSA Z94.3 standards. Read more

Tommyco Total Flex articulating kneepads 30321 have a patented all-terrain cover, making them ideal for exterior use, says the manufacturer. Read more

The ANSI 10-person Construction First Aid Kit contains 91 combined units of bandages, scissors, tweezers, first-aid creams, and dressing pads. Read more

Thunder T2 Hi-Visibility earmuffs feature a reflective headband, green ear cups, and dielectric construction. Read more

Ergodyne's ProFlex 710 Trades Gloves are constructed of an Akton visco-elastic polymer made to dampen shock and impact. Read more

Moldex Meteors disposable earplugs are the only earplug designed with an undercut tip to keep the earplug secured in the ear canal, says the company. Read more

Made from CoolSAFE filter material and featuring an innovative exhalation valve, the Dräger X-plore 1700 series particle-filtering facepiece respirator has a moisture-repellent inner fleece and attaches with a head harness. Read more

The Tool Lanyard from Capital Safety prevents tools from dropping. Read more

Listen to your favorite music while blocking out harmful noise with the Peltor Digital Worktunes headphones. Read more

Ansell HyFlex 11-510 gloves – designed for use with carpentry, HVAC, pipe-fitting, and glass installation – provide ANSI Level 2 and EN Level 3 cut protection. Read more

Gateway Safety's 4x4 Sport safety glasses provide 99.9 percent protection from UVA and UVB rays. Read more

Miller's TurboLite Personal Fall Limiters (self-retracting lifelines) are part of the Twin Turbo Fall Protection System. Read more

The French Creek Production Door Jamb Anchor 1785 mounts in door or window openings from 24 inches to 43 inches wide and attaches to a harness with a self-retracting lifeline (not included). Read more

The Impacto 777-00 Eliminator Knee/Shin Protector is made with PVC-free materials and features padding containing Super Gel and foam for comfort. Read more

Werner's Equalizer extension ladder is made from heavy-duty nonconductive fiberglass and comes with factory-installed leg levelers. Read more

Klein Tools' Advance Cap safety helmet has cooling vents and weighs .84 pound. Read more

Stihl's 45-minute instructional DVD, 'Cut-off Machine Safety, Maintenance and Operation,'shows how to use handheld cut-off machines safely. Read more

Timberland's 6-inch Pro Triflex Boots have a waterproof leather outer with a waterproof membrane. Read more

The 12-volt Sub-Scanner Cordless Detection Tool (model 2290-21) is an extra-heavy-duty 'stud finder' powered by Milwaukee's M12 rechargeable batteries. Read more

The Lenox Mobile Torch System II (MTS II) is a combo gas-torch canister connection and accessory carry-all designed for professionals. Read more

General Tools & Instruments' lightweight 3-inch and 6-inch nonmarring, nonconductive carbon-fiber-composite Digital Fractional Calipers provide precision measurements in three digital-readout modes. Read more

The striking face on Stanley's two new FatMax graphite hammers is 70 percent larger than standard hammer faces, providing a larger 'sweet spot' to improve user accuracy, says the maker. Read more

Two new wood-flooring router-bit sets offer precision-mated profiles with integral nail slots for solid wood from 58 to 3/4-inch thick or engineered wood from 1/2 to 58 inch thick. Read more

Hitachi's new 14.4-volt cordless impact driver (WH14DBL) has a brushless motor that provides up to 30 percent longer runtime per charge and extends battery life, says the company. Read more

The PressSnap cutting tool for no-hub and service-weight cast-iron pipe attaches to Ridgid's corded and cordless electro-hydraulic press tools. Read more

Makita's first brushless-motor 18-volt cordless impact driver (BTD144) has a three-speed power-selection switch. Read more

DeWalt's all-new line of compact 18-volt cordless tools includes a right-angle drill (DCD690KL), a drill/driver (DCD760KL), an impact driver (DCF826KL),and a hammer drill/driver (DCD775KL). Read more

New RedLine handles have been added to 22 tools in the Malco hand-tool line. Read more

Greenlee's extended-length (24- and 30-inch) auger bits eliminate theneed for bit extensions, which can catch on obstructions and prevent efficient chip removal. Read more

The GTL3 tile layout laser can display 45-degree lines, which means that users can align layouts at zero, 45, 90, and 135 degrees from a single setup and view straight-line and diagonal alignments simultaneously. Read more

This combination compressor-generator (K11HGA-17P-3000W) features an11-hp Honda overhead valve engine with an electric start. Read more

The Ultra-Lok RSQ SRL ('rescue with self-retracting lifeline')is the first dual-mode fall-protection rig to provide fall arrest and rescue/descent in the same unit. Read more

The SB18 LTX 18-volt cordless hammer drill/driver offers superior ergonomicsand power in a more compact design, says the maker. Read more

The Vinyl/Aluminum Siding Combo-Tool (model MW-CT) is two products in one – so you have one less tool to carry when working on a scaffold or ladder. Read more

The PN50 Mini Impact Nailer is 60 percent smaller than most other pneumatic palm nailers but performs the same function, says the maker. Read more

The QuickFire Torch offers a more compact size and a hotter flame for soldering (and other direct heat-applied operations) than competing products, says the maker. Read more

Marathon PCD Fiber Cement Circular Saw Blades deliver longer life and less dust than standard fiber-cement blades, says the maker. Read more

The Spectra Precision Laser (HV301G) is an automatic self-leveling laser that offers superior green-beam visibility for horizontal, vertical, and plumb applications, says the maker. Read more

Designed to meet the demands of professionals, a new tool-bag line created for the Snap-on tool brand contains soft-sided tool-storage bags, rollerbags, wide-mouth bags, bucket totes, and more. Read more

The R1005 4-1/2-inch Angle Grinder from Ridgid combines a unique ergonomic grip, light weight, and a compact design to improve user control while reducing fatigue. Read more

For 2010, Porter-Cable will introduce an all-new Heavy Duty 7-1/4-inch Circular Saw that offers improved balance, 55-degree bevel capacity with stops at 22.5 and 45 degrees, and a lightweight cast-magnesium shoe. Read more