If you\u2019ve ever worked with an X-Acto Knife or a box cutter, you know there are some dangers, just as there are with any knife. Remember, pay attention to what you\u2019re doing! Never use a dull blade! Cut away from your body!<\/p>\n
And of course, wear cut resistant gloves. Yes, we know you\u2019re a man, and men don\u2019t need certain protections… Okay, so both genders have their issues, but this one rule is<\/strong> the one we most often neglect \u2013 and that neglect leads to injuries.<\/p>\n You\u2019re being careful, cutting along, everything\u2019s going smoothly and SLICE!<\/p>\n Yes, that\u2019s right, you\u2019ve just sliced open your finger, there\u2019s blood everywhere \u2013 you have to go to the emergency room and get stitches.<\/p>\n It kind of ruins your day.<\/p>\n OSHA reports that nearly 40 percent<\/strong> of all injuries attributed to manual workshop tools in the US involve knives with retractable blades.<\/p>\n And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 250,000 serious hand, finger and wrist laceration occur annually<\/strong> in the private industry.<\/p>\n So that scenario we described above?\u00a0 It\u2019s far more common than you might think. And, in the interest of your safety<\/strong> and our bottom line, we took action.<\/p>\n So what did Ground Zero<\/a> do to help insure your<\/strong> workplace safety?<\/p>\n In an earlier post, we talked about ESD mats<\/a> \u2013 what they are and how they work, but today we\u2019d like to get… a little personal, if that\u2019s okay with you.<\/p>\n Most table and bench mats<\/a> are built with either two or three layers. The top layer is resistant to chemicals, solder and flux, making it usable and easy to clean. The bottom layer is either a durable anti-skid surface and\/or an adhesive backing, both to ensure safety on the work area.<\/p>\n Three-layer mats<\/a> have the added bonus of a conductive scrim layered in the center that can coordinate with your personal wrist-strap constant monitors<\/a>.<\/p>\n As you can imagine, all of these layers make the mats a little thicker than cardboard or just a vinyl mat. And, as you know, when cutting with an X-Acto knife or box cutter, the thicker the material you\u2019re trying to cut is, the more prone the blade is to slipping, leading to that ER visit.<\/p>\n So to help promote the safety of our customers\u2019 workplaces, we decided to offer custom cut matting.<\/a><\/p>\nA Cut Above<\/strong><\/h3>\n