Corporate Backgrounder – February 2007

The Company

Tucker Safety Products, Inc. was founded in 1986 by Vincent Tucker to produce the highest quality protective apparel in foodservice and kitchen operations. Tucker’s catering experience exposed him to weaknesses in the kitchen protective apparel market. Existing heat pads, oven mitts and aprons protect against direct heat burns, which account for only 16% of foodservice burn injuries. Another 82% of injuries occur from boiling water, steam and hot oil or grease. Tucker decided it was time to develop products which truly guarded against all the dangers in a commercial kitchen.

Tucker’s flagship product line, BurnGuard ® Effective Protective Apparel, provides the most sanitary, effective burn protection available. All BurnGuard products include Tucker’s VaporGuard™ liquid and vapor barrier. The products are easily washable, and can go from wet to hot surfaces interchangeably.

Tucker, a privately held company, is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and employs approximately 50 people. Tucker provides safety products to small, independent businesses, schools and government institutions, as well as large corporations such as Wendy’s, Ruby Tuesday’s and Subway.

Base Materials

In addition to its BurnGuard with VaporGuard products, Tucker produces many other products with materials developed for specific purposes. These base materials can be used to create oven mitts, gloves, hot pads, aprons, sleeves, shoe covers and other protective apparel, like oven covers, to protect employees while cleaning around hot equipment.

Tucker’s materials include:

Poly Cotton Material – low cost, effective material where there is no risk of exposure to open flame. Contact temperatures should not exceed 450°F.

Nomex® Material – superior protection where there is a risk of exposure to open flame. Nomex is best used in temperatures up to 600°F.

Kevlar® Material – used for the toughest jobs. Kevlar material offers the best protection in high temperature and high risk environments, such as breaking down broilers. Kevlar is best used in temperatures up to 900°F, and is applied in critical areas of the “Plus Series” products for added protection and durability.

Silicone Material – excellent for the commercial foodservice environment. Silicone has a high level of heat resistance and is superior to Neoprene® in flexibility and durability. Silicone also inhibits the growth of bacteria, which makes it the material of choice for any commercial kitchen.

Spectra Fiber – the best fiber to use in cut resistant gloves for foodservice. Tucker adds antimicrobial protection to the fiber of its KutGloves for additional food safety protection.

Certifications
NSF International – NSF Protocol P149 Tucker Safety Products is the first oven mitt manufacturer used in commercial foodservice to receive National Safety Foundation (NSF) protocol certification. This protocol evaluates oven mitts for their suitability for use in commercial foodservice establishments. Requirements for all mitts (Class I and Class II) include durability, heat resistance, liquid/steam penetration and cleanability. Class II oven mitts (intended for direct flame applications) have additional requirements for flame resistance and thermal protection.

ARTL Testing comparison of VaporGuard vs. Neoprene
Protective apparel is often subjected to extremely high temperatures and other abuses. In 1995, Tucker arranged controlled, independent laboratory tests with American Research Testing Laboratories (ARTL) in Gardenia, California. In an effort to understand what happens to the components commonly found in foodservice products, such as vinyl and Neoprene, compared to what happens to Tucker's VaporGuard barrier, ARTL subjected these materials to conditions including oven range temperatures (400° F or higher) and direct flame. Vinyl did not pass the first temperature test to receive any test results. 24 hours of oven aging at 400° F caused Neoprene to discolor and become brittle. When subjected to an open flame for just 5 seconds, vinyl samples were consumed almost immediately, leaving no test samples from which toxic emissions could be analyzed. These same conditions caused the Neoprene to emit alarming levels of hydrogen cyanide, sulfur oxide and hydrogen chloride. Meanwhile, Tucker’s VaporGuard barrier sample produced "no detectible" levels of these toxic and potentially fatal gases. More important, the VaporGuard product was able to function effectively following the oven aging at 400° F for 24 hours.

Contact Info:
Tucker Safety Products, Inc.
2835 Janitell Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: 719.527.4848
Fax: 719.527.1499

BurnGuard and VaporGuard are trademarks of Tucker Safety Products, Inc.

Kevlar, Neoprene and NOMEX are registered trademarks of E.I. duPont de Nemours and
Company.