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THE REVOLUTION IN KNEE PROTECTION
»»KNEE INJURIES ARE
commonplace among both
installers and tradespeople
in general. Sore and swollen
knee joints are something
that they all suffer from at
one time or another. It’s a
perennial problem and highly
aggravating, but prevention is
far easier than cure by taking
the proper steps to look after
your knees.
The knee is one of the
largest and most complex
joints in the body and there are
different types injuries that are
of particular concern to anyone
who works on their knees.
The most common is
probably Housemaid’s Knee
or Bursitis, which is caused
by kneeling for long periods
of time or by repetitive knee
movements such as crouching
down and standing up. Fluid
builds up in the Bursa - which is
the sack of fluid that cushions
the knee joints – causing
swelling, soreness and stiffness
in the joint.
SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
Effective knee protection on
site is, as you might expect,
covered by EU legislation.
The EN 14404 Knee
Protection Standard deals
with the size, force-distribution
and penetration-resistance of
kneepads.
Type 2, Level 1 protection
ensures reliable knee
protection for craftsmen in a
mobile working environment
that involves regular kneeling
to perform their job. This
protection level is designed to
protect the knees in all types
of working environments with
rough, hard and damp surfaces
from small objects and debris
up to 1 cm.
The Type 2, Level 0 standard
designates effective knee
protection for craftsmen who
need to work on their knees
indoors – but only occasionally.
Designed to protect the knees
on flat surfaces.
There have been various
types of knee guards over the
years. Strap-on pads that cut
into the back of your knees,
foam rubber mats and basic
protection. But effective
protection really only comes
from a kneeguard system
that has been thoroughly
researched, tested and
manufactured using materials
that perform to the highest
standard day in, day out.
The most effective kneepads
have to work efficiently and in
tandem with the Work Trousers
they’re used with, staying in
precisely the right position to
ensure reliable knee protection.
That is exactly what you’ll get
with a properly designed knee
guard positioning system.
pressure distribution and
protection against sharp and
rough objects with maximum
comfort.
The design should also
feature high sides to prevent
your knees from sliding off the
kneepads.
This design approach will
also ensure the kneepads
extremely flexible when you
walk, while closing around your
knees when you kneel down.
Most workwear
manufacturers supply
kneepads for their Work
Trousers. They vary in price,
quality and effectiveness. For
instance, you can now get a
pair of rubber kneepads for as
little as a £3.99 in a UK high
street supermarket. It will come
as no surprise to most that they
have no guarantee of comfort
or protection.
However, the more
discerning tradespeople –
those particularly concerned
with their health and welfare on
site – will be more interested
in the world’s first ‘active’
kneepads that are proven
to last twice as long as other
kneepads and take cuttingedge knee protection to a
completely new level with the
revolutionary D3O® materials.
Properly designed kneepad
pockets should include special
seams that allow you to adjust
your kneepads into different
positions to ensure superior
knee protection.
Effective kneepads should
also feature a hard-wearing
materials on the outside edges
and softer materials in the
centre to combine efficient
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2016
Sponsored by Gretsch-Unitas
HIGH-TECH D3O®
MATERIAL
D3O® is an active and
specially engineered
rubbery material comprising
intelligent molecules which
‘flow’ with you as you move.
On shock they lock together
to absorb the impact energy
to provide high-frequency
protection.
The durable D3O® material
also features an extremely
slow compression rate,
ensuring that the kneepads
keep their shape during hard
work and over a long period
of time.
And, given that Knees
are not flat, the shape of
kneepads with the D3O®
material is important. That’s
why kneepads with an
ergonomic, pre-bent design
that makes the kneepad
close around your knee
when kneeling.
So, when you work a lot
on your knees, this material
will give you by far the best,
long lasting knee protection
available.
www.snickersworkwear.co.uk