Sentinel set to save hands?

Showa has launched its Sentinel by Showa hand protection programme across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The programme combines on-site assessments with glove trials to help large employers (with at least 150 workers) reduce hand injuries and improve protection whilst identifying cost-saving opportunities.

Sentinel operates successfully in the US and is available free of charge. It follows a two-stage process that begins with a site-wide survey carried out by Showa representatives. This identifies risk factors as well as potential improvements in hand protection. Recommendations are compiled into a report tailored to the needs of each end user.

The second stage is the Sentinel four-week trial programme. This structured trial enables end users to evaluate recommended Showa gloves against their current products in terms of comfort, dexterity, durability, and suitability for specific tasks. The process includes an initial meeting, sample distribution, evaluation, and feedback – with active involvement from both employees and the end user’s safety team throughout.

“Sentinel by Showa provides a practical framework for engaging with workers and safety teams to ensure the right gloves are used for the right applications,” says Tony Lynch, Showa’s vice president of EMEA and the US. “By understanding user needs on site, testing against actual job demands, and following through with data-backed recommendations, we can improve safety performance and reduce incidents while helping customers optimise their PPE spend; and it’s all for free.”

The rollout follows the uptake of Sentinel in the US, where customers have seen measurable benefits. Pneumatic and electro-pneumatic component manufacturer Wabtec Graham-White partnered with Showa to implement Sentinel across 12 departments. The result was a reduction of US$18,000 in glove spend, a drop in hand injuries, and a more sustainable approach to the selection of personal protective equipment (PPE), through the introduction of Showa’s biodegradable EBT hand protection solutions.