Saf-T-Gard, Northbrook, Ill., and its Voltgard Test Lab, what is said to be the largest, independent, NAIL4PET-accredited test lab for rubber insulating electrical safety equipment, prevented 40 tons of out-of-service rubber goods from further polluting landfills. Instead, these scrap rubber products will be recycled into playground surfacing material, equestrian arena footing and as rubber filler for hundreds of other applications.

Regulatory standards require regular inspection and periodic retesting of electrical protective equipment prior to use. Saf-T-Gard’s Voltgard Test Lab is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment for the complete testing and re-certification of rubber gloves, sleeves, blankets, line hose, jumpers, grounding sets, hot sticks and more. The Voltgard Test Lab collects tons of rubber-insulating products that must be removed from service because they are no longer safe to use. The company then recycles its scrap rubber.

“Saf-T-Gard strives to keep everyone safe, and that practice extends to the environment as well,” says Richard Rivkin, president and CEO. “Our recycling efforts do not stop with the Voltgard Test Lab. Some of our low-cost knitted work gloves are manufactured from purified, re-spun yarn that consists of recycled textiles from apparel production and recycled plastics from water and soft drink bottles. In our warehouse operations, we also bale our scrap corrugated cardboard to send to a recycler, and we purchase corrugated shipping cartons with a high recycled content. As a family-owned company now in its fourth generation of ownership, we understand the importance of and are very passionate about preventing further landfill pollution for future generations. As part of our legacy, we will continue to implement ‘greener’ business practices that benefit both industrial workers and the environment.”