THE CHALLENGE
Between December 2015 and July 2019, Colas Rail's close call register recorded over 250 close calls relating to staff not wearing Cut 5 gloves on site. The gloves in use suffered from poor dexterity, poor sizing and poor product life.
Case study
Colas Rail
Colas Rail UK is one of Network Rail's five largest contractors, delivering railway infrastructure services including track maintenance, line construction and renewals across the UK. Their workforce operates on live railway infrastructure and must wear highly cut resistant gloves at all times on site.
This is how Traffi helped Colas Rail address the safety, comfort and sustainability challenges of their existing glove programme.
THE SOLUTION
After feel tests and a comparison of Cut 5 gloves, Colas Rail unanimously chose to trial the TG6240. Its bright colour lets supervisors and COSS see from a distance whether staff are wearing the mandatory Cut 5 gloves.
THE OUTCOME
Traffi gloves weigh 37% less than the previous gloves, resulting in 37% less waste sent to landfill for the same number of uses. Employees also reported higher satisfaction, and the trial demonstrated both financial and environmental benefits. The TG6240 lasted on average 14 days, nearly three times longer than the previous glove, cutting waste to landfill.
What was the initial problem?
The Colas Rail close call register between December 2015 and July 2019 recorded over 250 close calls relating to staff not wearing Cut 5 gloves when on site. The problems identified were a lack of dexterity, poor sizing and poor product life.
The aim was to improve the safety the gloves provided and increase their sustainability, by extending the lifespan of the gloves and reducing the quantity and mass of gloves sent to landfill each year across the workforce.
Why Traffi?
Colas Rail's workforce operates on live railway infrastructure and is required to wear highly cut resistant gloves at all times on site, so glove compliance and performance are directly linked to worker safety and audit outcomes. Traffi offered a Cut 5 glove that improved dexterity, sizing and product life, with the visibility to make compliance easy to check.
OUR SOLUTION
After extensive feel tests and a comparison of the features of all the Cut 5 gloves, a unanimous decision was made to trial the TG6240. Staff were actively involved in the trial and in meetings about the glove.
THE TG6240 OFFERED
A breathable liner and LXT long life technology
Cut Resistance Level 5, suitable for dry, wet and oily conditions
Heat resistance up to 100 degrees Celsius and washability up to three times
High dexterity and touchscreen compatibility
THE RESULT
An immediate safety benefit is the bright colour, which allows supervisors, COSS and other safety-critical staff to see from a distance whether an employee is wearing the mandatory Cut 5 gloves. Involving staff throughout the trial also built strong buy-in across the workforce.
The TG6240 lasted on average 14 days, nearly three times longer than the previous glove, resulting in three times fewer contaminated gloves sent to landfill.
Employees reported higher satisfaction, and many were actively involved in the trial, demonstrating buy-in. The trial proved that Traffi gloves deliver both financial and environmental benefits to Colas Rail, alongside improved visibility and cut resistance.
Word from Client
The gloves are “better quality, softer, and more comfortable”, and James Trevithick, OLE technical engineer, says “I would pick these every time”.
Georgie Georgiev, Overhead Linesman
