PPE for the Fashionable Industrial Polymer Chemist

June 4^th is Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Day.

Nate: Kate and I are here today to discuss the latest fashion do's and don't for today's fashionable industrial polymer chemist. Kate, here's a recent picture of John; what do you see here, you fashion maven?

Kate: Being an industrial chemist, John often gets to work on the big equipment in the production area, so here we see him not only wearing safety glasses, but a hard hat as well. I do think that yellow is so passe for a color, Tangerine Tango is the Pantone Color of the Year for 2012 and would make a much better choice.

Nate: Kate, you are so right, but snaps for John for adorning his helmet with the color scheme from his blog. And Kate, what I really love, and I do mean love about helmets, is that after a long day sweating over a hot twin screw extruder, you have the most adorable hat hair. If you were to see John driving home, you would think that he was a hipster that had just removed his knit hat, and we all know what a great fashion statement that is. Way to go John!

Kate, what else to you see?

Kate: Down below, John has on this pair of pair of safety shoes, as again, he is working around lots of heavy equipment. Now Nate, don't get me wrong as I know the importance of PPE, but honestly Nate, those shoes never were in fashion and if they ever do come in fashion, why I'd...I'd...I'd... well, I'd rather wear 6-inch platform shoes with fishnet stockings and a short skirt downtown after closing time than look at those shoes again.

Nate: Oh Kate, I so agree with you. Safety shoes come in so many good looking fashions nowadays that I have I pair for every outfit in my closet, and not one of them looks as awful as that pair. John dear, do yourself a favor and get an updated pair, and then call me so I can swoon over them.

Kate, does John have any other PPE to talk about?

Kate: No Nate, that's it for today, although I should mention that when John works around the really big and noisy equipment here at Aspen Research, he loves to accessorize his outfits with hearing protection. His personal favorite is the 3M 1310 banded ear plugs, so much so that he even wears them at home at when mowing the lawn or using his chainsaw.

Nate: Hmmmm, now that's an image I won't tire of...

Kate: Oh Nate, get back to business here. Those banded ear plugs are lightweight, very comfortable and maintain an even pressure on your ears no matter how far you spread the band. Oh, and did I mention that John's wife played a major role in the development of that product?

Nate: Well isn't that nice. Kate, I think we've covered it all here. Until next time, this is Nate...

Kate: ...and this is Kate...

Nate & Kate: ...wishing you good PPE fashion sense. Goodbye!