Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical compound found in some hard, clear, lightweight plastics and resins. It's used in the production of various types of food and drink containers, CDs, electronics and automobile parts, and as a liner in some metal cans. Animal studies suggest that, once ingested, BPA may imitate estrogen and other hormones, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Although it has been approved by the FDA to be used in low doses, recent animal studies suggest that it is not safe. BPA has been found to stimulate prostate cancer cells and may cause breast cancer. Exposure to BPA early in life may cause genetic damage. One human study found that women with a history of miscarriages had more than threefold higher levels of BPA in their blood compared with women without a miscarriage history. 81% of the 115 published animal studies found significant effects from even low-level exposure.
What plastics are affected by BPA. Polycarbonate, also commonly known under the brand name of Lexan, to figure out whether a plastic is polycarbonate or not -- look for #7 on the bottom of the container. Nalgene's bottles are commonly perceived as synonymous with polycarbonate, Nalgene offers a wide variety of water bottles made from many different kinds of materials, including HDPE, LDPE and PET. They are also introducing bottles made from Triton - a plastic with similar features (e.g. hard, clear) but no BPA.
Water bottles are not the only potential source of BPA exposure. Several factors play into whether BPA will actually leach from a material made with BPA. These factors include quality of the material & polymerization, exposure to heat and age of the material. If you want to play it safe, the easiest thing to do is to avoid any products made of polycarbonate or known to contain BPA. To avoid the BPA exposure, for hot food and liquids, use glass, stainless steel or porcelain containers. Select glass or plastic without BPA for baby bottles and preserved goods should come from glass jars or canned goods that don't have liners with BPA.
The FDA’s opinion on BPA is that it is safe. They say based on their ongoing review, we believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects. However, we will continue to consider new research and information as they become available.
The FDA issued this Consumer message. At this time, the FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while we continue our risk assessment process. However, concerned consumers should know that several alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles exist, including glass baby bottles.
Written By: Mike Girolami, President of Michigan Industrial Shoe www.MichiganShoe.com , Local Distributor of Work Boots, Safety Shoes and Work clothing, Redford MI
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Merrell Footwear “Outventure”
At Merrell, it’s all about the journey. Whether your definition of outdoors is the woods or an urban cityscape, Merrell believes that any outdoor adventure is a journey into self-knowledge, exhilaration and fulfillment. They call it “outventure” and it is the driving force behind the design and performance of men’s Merrell shoes. To make the journey a comfortable one, they created boots and shoes with a superb “out-of-the-box” fit that include characteristics like a snug fit in the heel, plenty of toe room and varying widths for narrow or wide feet. They also invested in innovative technologies and exclusive materials to deliver a high level of performance whether in the city or the country, hot or cold, rain or shine.
Merrell has developed partnerships with companies that have the same goal as they do—to provide you with comfortable, high-performance footwear. From GORE-TEX® to Microban®, Merrell partners with the best to make their footwear even better.
Merrell uses stiffer, more stable insoles on their heavy duty backpacking boots for the added stability needed to carry heavy loads on steep terrain. For these boots, Merrell uses a tapered injected-nylon insole, providing unmatched torsional rigidity with an even flex under the forefoot. The molding process allows them to proportionally grade the flex of each size insole to account for differences in boot length and hiker weight. For day hiking and walking Merrell uses Texon insoles and spring steel shanks. By varying the length and thickness of the steel shanks, they can tune the flex for comfortable walking and carrying light loads. The insole is critical to the flex performance of Merrell boots. As the boot strikes the ground, the insole, which is the layer of material between the outsole and the footbed, helps stabilize your foot and keeps it from twisting on uneven terrain.
Merrell uses GORE-TEX® bootie construction in several of their top-of-the-line waterproof hiking boots and shoes. Used in hiking construction for more than 20 years, GORE-TEX® fabric is the best assurance that your boots will provide unbeatable breathable, waterproof performance.
GORE-TEX® XCR, or Extended Comfort Range, footwear suppresses humidity to deliver optimal climate comfort and maximum performance during high-output activities. Highly breathable and durably waterproof, this versatile footwear also extends comfort during warmer seasons to meet the demands of avid adventurers, serious athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts.
As a measure of Merrell confidence in GORE-TEX® footwear performance, Merrell uses GORE-TEX® fabric in both hiking boots and adventure travel shoes. Furthermore, Merrell offers a full one-year guarantee, along with the GORE-TEX® Guaranteed to Keep You Dry satisfaction guarantee, for the waterproof/breathable performance of our GORE-TEX® footwear. You can find a full line of Merrell boots and footwear by visiting our website, www.michiganshoe.com.
Written By: Mike Girolami, President of Michigan Industrial Shoe www.MichiganShoe.com , Local Distributor of Work Boots, Safety Shoes and Work clothing, Redford MI
Merrell has developed partnerships with companies that have the same goal as they do—to provide you with comfortable, high-performance footwear. From GORE-TEX® to Microban®, Merrell partners with the best to make their footwear even better.
Merrell uses stiffer, more stable insoles on their heavy duty backpacking boots for the added stability needed to carry heavy loads on steep terrain. For these boots, Merrell uses a tapered injected-nylon insole, providing unmatched torsional rigidity with an even flex under the forefoot. The molding process allows them to proportionally grade the flex of each size insole to account for differences in boot length and hiker weight. For day hiking and walking Merrell uses Texon insoles and spring steel shanks. By varying the length and thickness of the steel shanks, they can tune the flex for comfortable walking and carrying light loads. The insole is critical to the flex performance of Merrell boots. As the boot strikes the ground, the insole, which is the layer of material between the outsole and the footbed, helps stabilize your foot and keeps it from twisting on uneven terrain.
Merrell uses GORE-TEX® bootie construction in several of their top-of-the-line waterproof hiking boots and shoes. Used in hiking construction for more than 20 years, GORE-TEX® fabric is the best assurance that your boots will provide unbeatable breathable, waterproof performance.
GORE-TEX® XCR, or Extended Comfort Range, footwear suppresses humidity to deliver optimal climate comfort and maximum performance during high-output activities. Highly breathable and durably waterproof, this versatile footwear also extends comfort during warmer seasons to meet the demands of avid adventurers, serious athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts.
As a measure of Merrell confidence in GORE-TEX® footwear performance, Merrell uses GORE-TEX® fabric in both hiking boots and adventure travel shoes. Furthermore, Merrell offers a full one-year guarantee, along with the GORE-TEX® Guaranteed to Keep You Dry satisfaction guarantee, for the waterproof/breathable performance of our GORE-TEX® footwear. You can find a full line of Merrell boots and footwear by visiting our website, www.michiganshoe.com.
Written By: Mike Girolami, President of Michigan Industrial Shoe www.MichiganShoe.com , Local Distributor of Work Boots, Safety Shoes and Work clothing, Redford MI
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Horse Shoes are as Important as Safety Boots
So why use shoes? Shoes protect the hoof from man-made environments and help enhance some of the horse's physical activity. Also, some horses have such severely flat or misshapen hooves that shoeing is necessary to maintain a useful horse. Just like steel toe boots are important to the farrier, to protect his feet from being stepped on by the horse.
Because all horses do not grow the same kind of hoof or perform the same kind work, shoes and shoeing schedules will vary from animal to animal. For most normal working horses, shoeing and resetting should occur every six to eight weeks. This allows maintenance of normal angles, and prevents hooves from growing too long and becoming unbalanced. Some high performance horses will need to have their shoes reset more frequently.
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.
At one time, farrier and blacksmith were all but synonymous. A farrier's work in colonial America or pre-Industrial Revolution Europe would have included horseshoeing as well as the fabrication and repair of tools, the forging of architectural pieces, etc. Today, farriers usually specialize in horseshoeing, focusing their time and effort on the care of the horse's foot. For this reason farriers and blacksmiths are considered to be in separate, albeit related trades.
A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases it is important to trim each hoof so that it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the foot, then shoes may be required.
Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured and/or diseased hooves and application of special shoes for racing, training or "cosmetic" purposes. In cases of horses with certain diseases or injuries, special remedial procedures may be needed for the hooves, and then special shoes may need to be constructed and fitted.
It's true what they say: the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man. There's nothing like mucking a stall or brushing a broodmare to make a bad week right again. And when you are mucking a stall or brushing a broodmare you must wear the proper attire. Protecting your feet is very important. Steel toe boots are a must around horses, as well as, dressing for the weather conditions. Investing in Carhartt bibs and coveralls, Work-Dry Thermal tops or Work-Dry T-Shirts, provides the warmth needed to work in the barn.
"Over one-half of all lameness cases occur in the feet," he says. "The old axiom 'no foot no horse' is as true today as it was in the past."
Written By: Mike Girolami, President of Michigan Industrial Shoe www.MichiganShoe.com , Local Distributor of Work Boots, Safety Shoes and Work clothing, Redford MI
Because all horses do not grow the same kind of hoof or perform the same kind work, shoes and shoeing schedules will vary from animal to animal. For most normal working horses, shoeing and resetting should occur every six to eight weeks. This allows maintenance of normal angles, and prevents hooves from growing too long and becoming unbalanced. Some high performance horses will need to have their shoes reset more frequently.
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.
At one time, farrier and blacksmith were all but synonymous. A farrier's work in colonial America or pre-Industrial Revolution Europe would have included horseshoeing as well as the fabrication and repair of tools, the forging of architectural pieces, etc. Today, farriers usually specialize in horseshoeing, focusing their time and effort on the care of the horse's foot. For this reason farriers and blacksmiths are considered to be in separate, albeit related trades.
A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases it is important to trim each hoof so that it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the foot, then shoes may be required.
Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured and/or diseased hooves and application of special shoes for racing, training or "cosmetic" purposes. In cases of horses with certain diseases or injuries, special remedial procedures may be needed for the hooves, and then special shoes may need to be constructed and fitted.
It's true what they say: the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man. There's nothing like mucking a stall or brushing a broodmare to make a bad week right again. And when you are mucking a stall or brushing a broodmare you must wear the proper attire. Protecting your feet is very important. Steel toe boots are a must around horses, as well as, dressing for the weather conditions. Investing in Carhartt bibs and coveralls, Work-Dry Thermal tops or Work-Dry T-Shirts, provides the warmth needed to work in the barn.
"Over one-half of all lameness cases occur in the feet," he says. "The old axiom 'no foot no horse' is as true today as it was in the past."
Written By: Mike Girolami, President of Michigan Industrial Shoe www.MichiganShoe.com , Local Distributor of Work Boots, Safety Shoes and Work clothing, Redford MI
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
