What We Built
Every old hand on the site got his knees the same way. Not from one bad fall. But from the short kneels, the ones that last a few seconds at a panel or box, repeated on concrete until the cartilage is gone.
You don't feel them now. But that's the part that gets you. By the time you do, it's already done.
Nobody straps on pads for a kneel that quick, so the protection comes off and the kneeling starts to adds up. These pads stay on under your pants the whole shift. It's there for every short kneel, and slim enough that you forget you have it on.
It hardens on impact for hard surfaces, grips so it won't slide, and vents heat to keep you cool. Years of short kneels is what ends careers early. This keeps you out of that count.