If there is one thing I understand, it is the critical nature of wearing the correct gloves for safety. When accidents happen, the appropriate gloves might literally save a worker’s hand.
When shopping for gloves, it’s critical to establish a clear set of minimum requirements. These requirements will be based on any applicable industry/government standards, as well as the qualities your personnel require in a glove to perform their duties safely.
Your needs checklist will vary according to the precise work for which the glove is required, but to get you started, below is a generic checklist of items to consider.
Dexterity
While there are standards for dexterity, you really need to conduct specialised trials to ascertain your workers’ dexterity requirements. Prior to purchasing gloves, you should obtain samples and have employees try them for around a week. If your employees are unable to perform their responsibilities while wearing the gloves, they will not wear them, and gloves are only effective when they are used.
Grip
As with dexterity, determining your grip requirements involves specialised testing. Additionally, the gloves may require particular coatings. For example, sheet metal is typically coated in a metal-handling oil to prevent rust—and the operation requires a special glove. If you’re fabricating a large sheet of glass, say for the skin of a highrise, you’ll need an excellent grip in addition to cut resistance: if the glass slips, you’ll immediately tighten your hold, and the glass will cut you like a blade. Gloves designed for general use will not suffice.
Eliminate Resistance
Cuts are by far the most common type of hand injury, hence cut resistance is crucial.
Cut resistance has been changed by modern materials. For instance, Kevlar, the same material as bulletproof vests, may be spun into thread and knitted into gloves to provide extraordinary cut resistance. If you are wearing the proper gloves and a piece of glass slides into your hand, you may avoid being injured or, if you are, the wound will be far less severe than it would have been otherwise.
Resistance to Abrasion
Abrasion injuries are second only to cuts in terms of severity, making abrasion resistance an additional consideration. While leather retains its superior abrasion resistance, new materials are rapidly catching up.
Abrasion resistance is also related to the glove’s overall life. I’ve worked in manufacturing facilities where even high-quality gloves must be replaced four times a day. If your task involves significant abrasion, you should conduct a glove trial long enough to determine the glove’s durability over time.
Resistance to Puncture
When selecting puncture-resistant gloves, it is necessary to determine if you will be working with little objects such as needles or larger objects such as broken glass. Each will have its own set of norms. Puncture resistance always impairs dexterity and comfort, necessitating difficult decisions.
Resistance to Impact
Impact-resistant gloves provide padding on the palm and fingertips. They emerged from athletic gloves used in dirt biking and are surprisingly comfy.
Certain industries frequently expose workers to severe impact hazards, particularly from heavy equipment—and in the oil and gas business, impact-resistant gloves have significantly reduced back-of-hand fractures during the last few years.
Resistant to Heat
Although the industry has made significant progress in protecting employees from heat hazards through automation and tool redesign, gloves remain critical in particular applications for handling hot cooking oil, welded parts, and molten metals. Heat-resistant gloves come in a variety of temperature classifications, and you should conduct thorough study to determine which ones you require.
Resistance to Vibration
Vibration resistance is critical for employees who use pneumatic tools or comparable equipment, as these items can result in hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), a major impairment.
Pick a glove with a lot of anti-vibration cushioning for tools with a lot of vibration, such as a jackhammer; choose a thinner, more form-fitting glove for smaller tools, such as a grinder. A glove with excessive padding may actually increase forearm strain, hence increasing the risk of HAVS. Additionally, full-finger gloves are preferable to half-finger gloves, as HAVS is most likely to manifest in the fingertips.
Protection Against Hazardous Substances
There is no such thing as “generic protection against harmful compounds.” If a work requires the handling of chemicals, it is vital that the glove firm you hire understands precisely which chemicals are involved, so that the glove or glove coatings are precisely correct.
For instance, there is a glove made of polyvinyl alcohol that is resistant to a large variety of potentially dangerous substances but is water soluble. If it comes into contact with water, it will immediately disintegrate.
Notably, no chemical-resistant glove will keep harmful substances out indefinitely. You need to know how long a resistant glove will last and when it should be discarded.
Microorganism Defense
Microorganism protection is a feature of disposable gloves that are mostly utilised in healthcare settings. Consider abrasion resistance, puncture resistance, allergies, and powdering, among other factors.
Winter Coziness
When employees are exposed to extreme cold, it is critical to wear thick gloves to avoid frostbite. To select the appropriate winter gloves, you must first determine the temperatures at which workers work and for how long.
A excellent winter work glove will have numerous layers, properly regulate moisture, and keep you warm even at your fingertips. Wool, polypropylene, or ThinsulateTM should be used for the lining—never cotton.
Cuffs or Separate Sleeves Length
Are your employees’ arms at risk of burns, scrapes, and abrasions as well? If you want a cut-resistant glove, you will almost certainly require a long cuff or a separate protective sleeve as well.
Individual Requirements
Do employees complete tasks by inserting a pin with the palm of their hand? Perhaps you require a glove with a thick pad specifically for that area. Do you require additional cut protection along your thumb?
Large manufacturers may have what you require or may develop a glove specifically for you—do your research and be explicit.
Capacity for Laundering
The ability of a glove to be laundered is sometimes overlooked throughout the glove selection process, but it is critical for long-term value and total cost.
When even the most costly tailored gloves become too sweaty or soiled, the majority of organisations will just discard them. This, in my opinion, is an enormous waste of money and resources. If you spend $10 on gloves and only wash them once at a cost of $0.50, you’ve saved $9.50. This can add up to significant money in a corporation with thousands of employees.
Coatings
For labour gloves, an incredible variety of speciality coatings are available, either for the entire glove or simply the palm and underside of the fingers. These coatings may be used to address a range of the above-mentioned needs, and you will undoubtedly require expert assistance in picking the appropriate coating.
Convenience and Fit
While comfort and fit are critical for all glove types, comfort needs vary significantly depending on the amount of time each glove is worn for a certain task. This emphasises the critical nature of a real-world trial. Bear in mind that a glove is useless if it is not worn.
SELECTING GLOVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR CHECKLIST
We live in a society where more is better, but with gloves, this is not the case. The proper glove is one that fulfils the basic criteria, not one that exceeds them.
If you surpass the minimum criteria, the glove will almost certainly become overly bulky, preventing workers from wearing it. As with Goldilocks, “just right” is perfectly acceptable. As a result, you’re likely to require many types of gloves for various duties.
Create a list of needs for each activity using this checklist as a guide. Provide this information to a reputable glove manufacturer and request that they select two to three samples for you to test alongside your current glove. You will then be able to identify the suitable glove and safeguard the safety of your personnel based on the results of these tests.
By deliberating and researching this critical issue, you may possibly save a hand.