Ansell Introduces First Flame-Resistant Glove for Oil and Gas Workers

ISELIN, New Jersey, September 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

First-in-Class Glove Lasts up More Than Three Times Longer than Competitive Gloves and Optimizes Safety and Comfort for Upstream Market

Global upstream oil and gas capital and operating spending is expected to reach unprecedented heights from 2012-2016, due in large part to a burgeoning North American industry^[1]. To help protect upstream oil and gas workers from catastrophic events such as flash fires, as well as daily concerns of impact and abrasion, Ansell, the world leader in hand protection, introduces the first-in-class ActivArmr^® Flame Resistant 97-200 gloves. Designed for use from the rig floor to production services, ActivArmr® 97-200 gloves maximize impact protection and flame resistance (NFPA 2112) without compromising comfort and dexterity.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/562697 )

ActivArmr® 97-200 gloves are designed with an exclusive flame-resistant fabric and meet the NFPA 2112 Flame Resistant Work Wear Standard. To protect workers against injuries and impact, the gloves feature a first-to-market, proprietary bumper formulation that covers the knuckles and an easy don/doff safety cuff for quick release in the event of an accident.

"Flame-resistant clothing for your body is standard in the oil and gas industry, but it's not a standard for your hands, even though they are often the first body parts to come into contact with potential dangers," said Dan Shepard, Associate Director of Global Business Development, Ansell. "Our ActivArmr® 97-200 gloves are the first in Ansell's full line of gloves that we are developing in collaboration with oil and gas workers to provide them with superior hand protection while enhancing the comfort and tactility they need to perform complicated tasks in the field."

ActivArmr® 97-200 is more than three times more durable than competitive gloves, as tested during in-house durability trials. The gloves are constructed with palm padding, Hi Viz fabric with a contrasting palm, durable Kevlar® stitching, and a digital goat skin leather palm providing optimal resistance from cuts (ANSI 2), abrasions (ANSI 4), punctures (ANSI 2) and tears.

For more than 100 years, Ansell has been recognized for continually innovating. Ansell leads the hand protection and protective clothing industry by providing specialized solutions that meet the unique challenges faced by workers across sectors. Ansell's ActivArmr® gloves are backed by months of end-user testing to determine the specific features workers need to protect their hands without compromising productivity.

Ansell's ActivArmr® Personal Protective Gear is designed and engineered to offer the optimum balance of protection and performance for the real-world extremes of the oil and gas, mining, construction, military and emergency service industries. To find out more about ActivArmr gloves, visit http://www.ActivArmr.com.

About Ansell

Ansell is a world leader in providing superior health and safety protection solutions that enhance human well being. With operations in North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia, Ansell employs more than 10,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the industrial and medical gloves markets, as well as in the sexual wellness category worldwide. Ansell operates in four main business segments: Medical Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Specialty Markets and Sexual Wellness.

ActivArmr® is a trademark owned by Ansell Limited or one of its affiliates. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at http://www.ansell.com

Kevlar® is a registered trademark owned by DuPont de Nemours and Company or one of its affiliates.

The 97-200 is not "fire-proof" and will not completely prevent or eliminate the potential for burns or associated Injuries.  Products that provide "cut resistance" and "cut protection" or "puncture resistance" and "puncture protection" do not completely prevent or eliminate the potential for cuts or punctures, and are not intended or tested to provide protection against powered blades, serrated or other sharp or rotating equipment. Products that provide "impact" or "vibration" "protection" or "reduction" provide cushioning or a level of attenuation of force or vibration, but do not completely eliminate the potential for impact-related or vibration-related injuries or effects. Products that provide "abrasion resistance" or "abrasion protection" do not completely prevent or eliminate the potential for abrasion-related injuries.

^[1] "Total 2012 Upstream Oil and Gas Spending to Reach Record Level of Nearly $1.3 Trillion; Set to Exceed $1.6 Trillion by 2016, IHS Study Says." IHS. April 2012.

http://press.ihs.com/press-release/energy-power/total-2012-upstream-oil-and-gas-spending-reach-record-level-nearly-13-tri

SOURCE Ansell