The 3M TEKK Protection Brand is kicking off an advocacy campaign to educate consumers and remind DIY enthusiasts to be responsible when taking on projects. The company says that that there are over 40 million active DIYers in the United States which will take on 57 million home improvement projects in the next year. These projects can range in difficulty from routine lawn care and home maintenance up to small remodeling projects. With the economy, self-motivated and self-executed projects have become more and more common. As a result, so have project-related injuries. According to the Home Safety Council’s DIY Survey from August of 2010, 1 in 5 people reported suffering from some sort of injury while doing various maintenance projects in their home. 53% of those surveyed believe their injury could have been avoided yet still didn’t purchase safety equipment, even after the fact. Now, we’re not so enamored by that number, considering that an injury can range from a simply cut (requiring a band-aid) to slicing one’s fingers off while using a table saw… that’s a rather large range to observe and document and it can swing the perception either way. Still, safety is important and we back any initiative that puts out opportunities for consumers to protect themselves better.
What 3M is trying to do for the consumer DIY market is provide a variety of personal safety products that will help weekend warriors do a better job at their project but be safer doing it. It’s sad to say, but many times simple safety precautions are ignored which in turn means that many injuries, some serious, could have been prevented. Despite all the different types of safety related items that are available to consumers, roughly half of them admit they’ve been known to neglect basic safety precautions. Even though people know that they should use safety equipment, less than half will. To help consumers learn how to “do-it-safely”, the 3M TEKK Protection Brand is launching an advocacy campaign to educate consumers and remind DIY enthusiasts to be responsible when taking on projects.
So… what better way to launch a safety campaign then being able to offer the safety equipment needed (you didn’t think they were going to give this stuff away, did you?) Many of today’s most common home improvements projects include lawn maintenance, outdoor gardening, painting, remodeling, removing insulation and/or installing drywall.
3M is promoting a complete suite of products under their TEKK Protection line that offers a broad assortment of safety items like eyewear, respirators, hearing protection, head and face protection and more.
Ear protection is a vital part of any home safety kit. 3M TEKK Protection WorkTunes offers a complete package with digital AM/FM radio tuning, iPod and MP3 compatibility so you can enjoy your home improvement projects safely in the workshop or in the yard. Think of it as taking the whole notion of “whistle while you work” to a new level. We already checked the the 3M TEKK Protection WorkTunes and you can read our full review here. In addition to the 3M TEKK Protection WorkTunes there is a complete collection of hearing protection products that include a full line of earmuffs, reusable and disposable earplugs. All the hearing protection items have been subjected to rigid testing, offer high noise reduction ratings and are comfortable. You should always use hearing protection to protect against the potentially damaging noise of power tools and lawn mowers.
Eye Protection
The next critical area of protection is your eyes. The old squint trick does not really work that well when wood chips or metal are flying at you faster than you can blink (plus your eyelids are weak protection against hard objects). To help you out in this department, you can check out the 3M TEKK Protection eyewear which come in clear, gray or indoor/outdoor lenses and are available in a variety of popular sunglasses-style frames. With shatter-proof frames that are flexible and can withstand tough use, they are available to fit just about any face shape. The 3M TEKK Protection safety eyewear meets ANSI Z87.1-2003 standards. This pretty much means that they offer impact resistance from projectiles moving at up to 150 feet per second. You won’t want to shoot a bullet at these glasses, but they are safe.
Probably one of the most commonly overlooked safety precautions is paying attention to what you are breathing. Things like drywall dust, lawn & garden chemicals, paint, and other dust generating jobs can all be harmful for your respiratory health. 3M TEKK Protection Respiratory Products include a line of NIOSH-approved particulate-filtering respirators designed for exceptional comfort, durability and ease of use. 3M’s unique patented Cool Flow Valve allows for easy exhalation and heat reduction. The 3M respirators come in both disposable and reusable cartridge models for a variety of home and even professional uses.
The 3M TEKK Protection Product Line showcases 3M’s continued commitment to offering a complete line of safety products with superior comfort, features and performance. In addition to the current campaign, there will be a continual focus on consumer education as well as making it easier to find and choose the right safety gear for each project in stores and online. 3M TEKK Protection Safety Products are currently available at home improvement, specialty paint and hardware stores with pricing and features that meets all segments of the DIY and professional market.
For more info check out www.3mtekk.com.
