september2022 - 21

COVER STORY
A SAFE BET
In the wake of COVID-19, mobile tool dealers can benefit
from having some personal protective equipment on
their trucks alongside their usual tools and equipment.
By E. Lisa Moses
F
or more than a decade, Kevin Vernon has been in the driver's seat
of his own tool distribution business, and while sales are his reason
for being a mobile dealer, he's mindful of the importance of health
and safety - both on the job and in life.
" I always have to think about
my own environment and where I'm
going because I can only keep serving
customers and helping my family
if I stay safe, " says the 38-year-old
GEARWRENCH distributor. Having
built good relationships with his customers,
he knows the safety protocols
at their premises and sticks to them.
He wears gear such as slip-resistant
shoes in case of water or oil spills and
carries his own safety glasses.
To work with clients on their safety
practices, Vernon carries a selection of
personal protective equipment (PPE).
" The four main things we stock are
safety glasses, ear protection, gloves,
and footwear, " he says, pointing out
that he can easily supply respirators,
hard hats, and other PPE on request.
His top seller is Microflex Diamond
Grip Gloves by Ansell, which
come in boxes of 100. He sells about
800 to 1,000 boxes a week. He also carries
the Blue Tongue line of footwear
from Redback Boots, both steel-toe and
regular, that are oil- and slip-resistant.
Rounding out the mix are face shields
and welding helmets from Jackson
Safety, and a number of SAS products.
Vernon points out that working
around hybrid vehicles and their
high-voltage components requires
some specialty products. For example,
shops might stock insulated rescue
hooks to safely retrieve staff who in
rare instances are injured or trapped
around electrical hazards, and those
technicians would need insulated rubber
gloves as well.
In addition to safety gear, Vernon
carries all the basic tools such as
screwdrivers, wrenches, and sockets
because they can be used in almost
any kind of repair business and turn
around quickly. For body shops and
heavy duty agricultural shops, he
stocks some basics such as saws and
clamps and orders giant specialty tools
as needed.
PIONEERING PPE PROVIDERS
Suppliers of safety gear use - and often
invent - new technology to create nextgeneration
PPE that meets the expectations
of not only safety regulators,
but also shop owners and workers who
have to wear it.
The process of developing new
products includes looking at where
they'll be used, asking questions
about what workers need, and dealing
with regulators. This results in PPE
that is engineered to meet or exceed
safety codes, stand up to any hazards
in shops, and provide occupants with
comfort and flexibility. It has also led
to some exceptional innovations.
Here are some advanced products
from three suppliers that are ahead of
the game.
Coast Products
No matter how well vehicle repair
shops are lit, there are always dark
spaces that require task lighting for
technicians - Coast's specialty. Whether
they work under the hood, under a
lift, or under a chassis, they need to see
clearly in the dark.
Recognizing that each work sector
needs different lighting to be safe,
Oregon-based Coast Products has
developed lighting safety solutions for
all types of tasks. According to David
Brands, owner/CEO of Coast, many
studies over the years have shown how
important good lighting is to safer work
and fewer workplace accidents.
" Whether auto technicians prefer
a headlamp, lighted safety glasses, pen
light, or small work light to illuminate
the area they are working on, safety
improves with the quality of light, "
he says.
To that end, Coast has developed
Lighted Safety Gear, which Brands
points out is the biggest innovation to
hit the market in years.
" Our Lighted Safety Gear is
rechargeable, uses no exposed wires,
Professional Distributor I September 2022 I VehicleServicePros.com 21
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
september2022

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