Pro Installer February 2014 - Issue 11 | Page 18

18 FEBRUARY 2014 PRO INSTALLER PRO NEWS www.proinstaller.co.uk DICKIES TO SHOWCASE NEW PRODUCT RANGE AT NMBS Workwear brand Dickies is to exhibit at the 2014 NMBS Exhibition at the Ricoh Arena on the 9th April showcasing some of their new products for 2014, the Dickies 22 range and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with some great one-off deals on the day. Dickies, which also does streetwear, has more than 100 new lines in the 2014 catalogue including the Eisenhower Max Trouser, the fashionable Dickies 22 range and 20 new safety footwear styles, including the Graton boot and the Crawford boot. A range of PPE maximum protection products will also be on show. From pallet deals to new starter packs there is something for everyone. And all members placing orders on the day will also qualify for an extra 5% rebate. Rob Haines, Regional Sales Director for Dickies said: “The new 2014 catalogue has just been launched and the new lines will be on display at the exhibition, some with special launch offers exclusive to NMBS members. This will allow the Independent Distributor to offer a good, better and best range which can cater for tradesmen of all tastes and all budgets. Site workwear gets designer makeover Wearable on - and off-site. The latest range of site safety clothing from specialist U-Power has been put together with the help of a designer who has worked for top Italian fashion houses, Prada and Fendi. “The sourcing and supply of products is always a challenge but we have invested in a whole new Supply Chain Department and also completed a 30,000 sq ft extension of our Distribution Centre. We have had successive years of record sales and this had been driven by offering desirable products that our distributors can make good margins on. In tough times it is tempting to go with the cheapest products but our successful merchant partners have showed that price isn’t everything and the end user much prefers a quality branded product.” Stop by the Dickies stands 5054 on the big day. U-Power is expanding in the UK from its traditional Italian base, determined to bring a dash of famous Italian style to the UK. U-Power believes its workwear is stylish enough to be worn off-site while practical enough to deal with the harshest on-site conditions. The firm said: “The U-Power range unites the best design, technology, features and innovative materials from sport, leisure and workwear, offering the perfect work-to-leisure design and style and the highest levels of performance.” The collection includes trousers, dungarees, shorts, jackets, bodywarmers, T- shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, socks, gloves and hats. ‘The range is bang on trend and the height of fashion’ U-Power said: “The range is bang on trend and the height of fashion in its cutting-edge design, but does not sacrifice its ability to offer complete protection for a huge range of workplace tasks. “No wonder that wearers of U-Power clothing want to keep it on - both during and after work.” Pick up the PRO Installer, FREE, from one of over 300 trade counters. HSE UPDATE: NEW GUIDANCE ABOUT WELDERS Following a Department of Health recommendation in 2011, that welders should be added to the list of patient groups for whom pneumococcal vaccination is recommended [1], the Health and Safety Executive has published guidance for employers who may be considering a vaccination programme [2]. ‘Makes clear that vaccination may be used as a precautionary protective step’ The guidance – developed jointly with industry bodies, the manufacturers’ organisation EEF and the Cast Metals Federation – makes clear that vaccination may be used as a precautionary protective step but will not normally be considered to be part of the hierarchy of controls required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Factors to be taken into account by employers in reaching a decision about whether or not vaccination should be offered include: the efficacy of COSHH control measures; the quantity of welding or metal fume generated and the duration of exposure; and the employee’s age, smoking history and whether they have a pre-existing medical condition. In some circumstances, for example, it might be decided to limit the availability of the vaccine to older workers only. The guidance relates to those exposed to welding or metal fume arising from arc welding, oxy-fuel gas cutting or during casting processes, who may be at increased risk of pneumococcal lobar pneumonia as a result.. “Pneumonia vaccination for employees exposed to welding fume” (EIS44), January 2014 Information sheet downloadable free from HSE website.