"I discovered your Soft Knees Knee Pads a couple of yeas ago and have been recommending them, plus the Ergokneel, as one possible solution to workers who spend a lot of time in kneeling postures since that time. The beauties of your products are that they have such a widespread application. Currently, the workers who have followed up on my recommendation include electricians, automotive mechanics, millwrights, HVAC installers and shop workers, heavy equipment mechanics, production welders, masons, carpenters and maintenance workers in a large variety of industries. There are more, but those are off the top of my head.
So far, there has been universal acceptance of Soft Knees by everyone I have talked to, with high praises by all. Many have remarked that there seems to be a good balance between the cushioning effect and weight and pliability of the material. Everyone said they need to be able to walk around with out the knee pad interfering with movement and Soft Knees kneepads do very well. A carpet layer I talked with was so happy to find Soft Knees because he was hospitalized several years ago after getting a serious infection (staph) from wearing traditional knee pads.
Your company keeps coming up with great ideas. Thank you for answering all my questions and I hope to see you in the future.
Annette Blake Swindler
Certified Industrial Ergonomist
Department of Consumer and Business Services (OR-OSHA)
"Soft Knees are great! I was contacted about this product because Liz Dowler, OTC, knew I was trying to develop some kind of knee padding for the workers at the City of Portland Water Bureau.
The original intent, though, was not to save knees, but to save BACKS. In an effort to reduce back injuries, we started looking at what the workers do that contribute to eventual back injuries.
This group of workers maintains the water infrastructure for the city which requires them to be working below ground level. This work invites a great deal of bending over, most bending at the waist with legs straight. The workers said they worked like this because the rocks, asphalt, pipes, mud, etc. make it unpleasant to kneel.
After finding out they bend at the waist so they don't have to kneel, we began looking at ways to pad the knee to encourage kneeling. Kneeling keeps the back in a much 'safer' position. Initially, we experimented with computer mouse pads, sponges, denim fabric, and lots of safety pins to come up with a material that would pad the knee, keep it in place, and withstand the weather and lots of water.
Soft Knees fit the bill. We simply stitched a fabric pocket inside their coveralls and inserted Soft Knees. The pad is made with a slight contour which helps to keep it in place. The workers wash and dry their coveralls with the pads right in them.
To top it off, Soft Knees came up with glue and patch so we could simply glue in the pocket, let it dry and wa-la.
Currently, I am the Safety Manager for Portland Parks and Recreation. We have had wonderful reviews from our gardeners as well.
Soft Knees fits in the double thickness of the Carhartt coveralls and we've also found that it fits in raingear with double thickness at the knee."
Barbara Aguon
Safety Manager
City of Portland, Parks and Recreation
"We have offered Soft Knees to our employees for approximately one year. Mechanics and other crafts people that find it necessary to kneel down frequently have very positive comments when they utilize the knee pads in their Carhartt clothing. We have people kneeling on anything from concrete to crushed rock on a regular basis. Those that have tried the knee pad have remarked that they will use them from now on. We keep the pads available for anyone that wants to use them."
Clay Murphy
Equipment Supervisor
Alaska Railroad Corp.
"Superior!
When the Soft Knees were first introduced there were several questions, one of them 'How resistant are they to the different chemicals used in this facility?' We then proceeded to test a set of the Soft Knees. We used concentrated hydrochloric, sulfuric and acidic acids as well as a caustic acid. The only indication of a reaction was with the hydrochloric acid, the material started to slightly breakdown. This was a very positive driver in the ordering of the Soft Knees.
I have had nothing but positive comments on the performance of your product. Everything from 'best thing brought into this mill' to 'what took so long' and, several employees have related similar events. Both people were wearing a new set of coveralls. Both of them had their work coveralls fitted with pouches and faithfully changed the pads. They were so used to wearing the Soft Knees that they didn’t realize they hadn't fitted the new pair with pouches. They were both given jobs requiring them to kneel on the ground/floor. It didn't take long for them to remember 'no Soft Knees', after going to their knees rather hurriedly (they had remembered it as a soft landing.)
Thanks for your product and your service."
Jeff Bowers
Safety Chairman
Weyerhaeuser
"This is to thank you for providing such a simple yet most beneficial product - Soft Knees Knee Pads. I am a longshoreman in Portland. While working in the hold of a steel ship unloading railroad track, with a crane directly overhead, a load shifted. Everyone scrambled for safety, and as I did, tripped and went to my knees- all 6'3" and 280 pounds of me-on to a steel rail. Your pads were the only things that saved me from serious knee injury. I now wear them both at work and at my marina.
I have recommended to our union safety officer that he make the part-time (casual) longshoremen aware of your product. I intend to mention Soft Knees to the Pacific Maritime Association Safety Instructor at our next quarterly safety class, so that he may also recommend them to any longshoremen who may not now be aware of them.
Keep up the good work, and again, I say thank you."
Martin D. Larson
President
Larson's Marina
"We're doing very well with your product - Soft Knees Knee Pads. Sales keep increasing every month. Thanks for being there."
Allan Barnes
Pacific Apparel
Your concept in knee protection without straps has been well accepted by our electricians. Some of our employees have used Softknees since 1994 and would not work without them.
Our Service Department Electricians who wear uniforms find the kneeling pads with handle a great benefit in saving the wear and tear on their knees and are small enough to easily carry in their vans.
The added productivity makes offering these options as safety incentive awards a practical part of our safety program.
Thank you for something new in blue-collar ergonomics.
Theresa Hollan
Safety and Compliance
Tice Electric Co.
I want to tell you that the "ergo kneel pads" have met our ergonomic needs nicely. Since we employ Welder/Fitters and Machine Operators in the Rail Car and Shipbuilding business, the ergo kneel pads come in quite handy when these people kneel on hard, concrete surfaces throughout our plant. The comments from the employees are very good and they feel more comfortable. In turn, they have fewer injuries and improved production.
If requests are any indication of the quality of your products, you are doing very well at Working Concepts. Our tool rooms are regularly getting requests for kneeling pads from your company. Many employees particularly like the pads with handles so that they can easily move the pads with their tools.
To conclude, keep up the good quality with these kneeling pads. The pads have worked for us for about four years now and we hope to continue using these products for years to come.
Gregory T. Miller
Manager of Health Services
Gunderson, Inc.
Over two years ago we were introduced to your products at a convention in Portland, OR. We had been looking for an ergo-mat that would meet the rigorous demands of our employees, along with the physical demands of our facility.
The information we gathered about ERGOKNEEL mats seemed too good to be true. Your information indicated that manufacturing facilities, service departments, and retail establishments have used ERGOKNEEL mats on hard surfaces for over two years without deteriorating. We asked if they would hold up if used on asphalt and expanded metal. Your response was of course they will! Again, we were a little skeptical but decided to purchase two of the smaller mats.
Two years later, we are still using the original ERGOKNEEL mats, along with many more. We have not had one complaint from any of our employees, other than not having enough mats. We still have a hard time believing how well your mats held up for us. From the first time we were introduced to your products, you have asked us to have the highest expectations of your products, and we have. As a satisfied customer we can tell you that your products have not let us down.
On behalf of all our employees, we would like to thank you for providing us great products, pricing, and service.
Chris Mackin
Safety Director
Universal Forest Products, Inc.
