In this episode of Radio Free Tenacity, we sit down with Nate Bohmbach, veteran PPE innovator and member of Ergodyne’s product team, to unpack the growing shift from traditional Type 1 hard hats to Type 2 safety helmets. Sparked by OSHA’s 2023 safety bulletin and their own internal transition, this trend has been gaining traction across high-risk worksites. We break down what’s driving the change, the resistance it’s facing on job sites, and how Ergodyne is designing Type 2 helmets that workers actually want to wear.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The key differences between Type 1 and Type 2 helmets—and why Type 2 offers broader protection.
• The real-world impact data behind OSHA’s recommendations.
• How to overcome worker resistance and get buy-in for upgraded head protection.

Heads up... there's a new bump cap standard and nobody has more insight into its development than Ergodyne President Greg Schrab. 

In this episode, he'll dive into:

• Why this new standard matters – Filling gaps in workplace head safety.
• Key features you need to know – Flexibility, performance and what sets it apart from other standards like Z89 + EN812.
• Bump caps vs. hard hats – What's the difference anyway? 

Tune in now for all that and more as Greg explains the latest head protection measure in a way that's simple, practical and well worth your time.

Often overlooked compared to outdoor work, indoor jobs can pose a heat stress risk, too.

Lack of air conditioning and poor airflow can transform any indoor workspace into a sweatbox, with environments like foundries, refineries, welding shops, and mills being particularly hazardous.

In this episode, we'll discuss how heavy-duty PPE, such as welding helmets, coveralls, and hazmat suits, further exacerbate these risks, and explore whether cooling PPE can effectively combat these challenges.

When heat stroke hits, irreversible cell damage can set in if the temperature isn't brought down fast — within a 30-minute window. Special guest Lexi Engelbert will demonstrate how one simple body cooling method can save lives.

The truth is, thermal ratings are a performance guide, not gospel—the best direction is available through exhaustive testing and consideration of three major factors.

In this episode you'll get to know:

• What three main factors go into temperature ratings for thermal gear
• Why temperature ratings are not as straight forward as you'd like
• How to choose the best thermal gear

Featured Guest:
Claudia Weber, Queen of Cold Stress Circumspection, Ergodyne

In this quick-hitting episode we’ll take you through the essentials of staying warm & productive in cold working environments. Plus, we’ll hit you with a winter work fact that’ll shock you to the core. Ok, maybe that’s being a bit dramatic, but still, we wouldn’t have guessed it ourselves.

As the pioneer in tool tethering, Ergodyne has a long history of innovation in the category, and the Squids 3745 Tool Grip and Tether Attachment Point might be their most clever solution to date. Nate Bohmbach, Product Director at Ergodyne and Chair of the Dropped Object Prevention Group at ISEA, joins the pod to give you the scoop.

In this episode, you'll get to know:

• The challenges and pain points of tethering screw and nut drivers
• How end user feedback helped solve those pain points
• How this new tool tethering solution doesn't just improve safety and simplify tool tethering, but actually improve the usability of the tool

Featured Guest:
Nate Bohmbach, Chief Drop Cop

In September of 2021, the US Department of Labor announced enhanced, expanded measures to protect workers from hazards of extreme heat, indoors and out. Those measures included the launch of a rulemaking process to develop a workplace heat standard and deployment of a National Emphasis Program (NEP). The NEP is the agency's first-ever nationwide enforcement measure specifically targeting heat-related hazards and greenlights heat-related inspections on worksites. 

In this episode you'll get to know: 

• What an NEP is and its purpose
• What industries are affected by the NEP
• What compliance officers are looking for on heat-related inspections 
• How cooling PPE fits in to your plan

Featured Guest:

Alsie Nelson, Heat Stress Hotshot, Ergodyne

Making sure eye protection meets and exceeds safety standards like ANSI Z87.1 is table stakes, but that doesn't necessarily mean those safety glasses are ready to take on the realities of the worksite. Ergodyne Product Director Tim Gallant joins the pod to discuss the most important standards in safety specs: the workers'. Through the lens (ha!) of the latest additions to Ergodyne's Safety Glasses + Goggles Series, he takes us through the considerations—big and small—his team puts into developing glasses and goggles that a) get worn and b) stand up to how they're usually treated on the job (hint: not very well).

 In this episode you'll get to know: 

• The newest additions to Ergodyne's Safety Glasses + Goggles Series
• The most important considerations in developing and selecting protective eyewear
• How workers help uncover small details that come up big

Featured Guest:
Tim Gallant, Primary Peeper Protector, Ergodyne

 Slips happen. Like, a lot. And Ergodyne’s recent collaboration with Soles by Michelin looks to make them happen less. Like, a lot less. A few years after debuting the now best-selling TREX 6325 Spikeless Traction Device for winter conditions, Product Director Alsie Nelson's team has launched the TREX 6326 Spikeless Traction Device for oily, greasy and other slippery situations commonly (but not exclusively) found indoors. The new addition to the TREX line has been extensively tested and touted by workers in a diverse array of applications—food processing, wastewater treatment, food and janitorial services, car washes and more.

 In this episode you'll get to know: 

• The benefits of wearing a "sling style" traction device vs. tennis shoes/slip-resistant boots
• How this new solution compares to the rest of the TREX Traction Series
• The severity and cost of slips and falls vs. the simplicity and affordability of traction devices

Featured Guest:
Alsie Nelson, Resident Slips Slayer, Ergodyne