| | If the Glove Fits:
The Right Safety Glove for your Application Published with permission from Synergist Magazine From disposable gloves to reflective road crew gloves, safety gloves have distinct personalities and purposes in the workplace. Primarily, they serve to protect hands (and sometimes arms) from multiple sources of harm: caustic chemicals, voltage jolts, biohazards, scorching heat, freezing cold, and more. According to a data source reviewed by OSHA, when workers in one study injured their hands, it was shown that 70% were not wearing gloves. In the remaining 30%, the gloves worn by the workers were damaged, inadequate, or the wrong type for the task and hazards encountered.¹ Many of these injuries, if not most, could be prevented with job-matched gloves. OSHA documents emphasize the importance of wearing personal protective equipment: “Employers shall select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes.”² When discerning which safety glove is the best match for a particular workplace, consider the following: | What’s Your Type? Chemical- and liquid-resistant gloves protect wearers from substances that penetrate the skin and potentially cause irritation, rashes, and burns. Usually made of neoprene, latex, nitrile, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or butyl, the glove material should be compatible with the chemical being handled. For more information on compatibility, see box below this article on Safety Glove Chemical Compatibility Database. Disposable industrial or laboratory gloves limit contamination in cleanroom environments, microchip production, laboratories, and medical facilities. They are worn when handling blood, pathogens, germs, or other potentially hazardous biological samples. Because finger sensitivity and dexterity is important for these applications, these gloves are made of pliable materials such as polyethylene, latex, nitrile, or vinyl. Disposable gloves may also be used in food safety, technology, and preparation applications as well. Typically, these disposable safety gloves carry a label stating they are compliant with FDA regulations for food contact Electrical safety gloves are generally rubber-insulated to protect electricians who are working with live wires and electrical charges. As an effective nonconductor, rubber offers voltage-resistance according to specified levels. Sometimes electrical workers wear leather gloves on top of the rubber-insulated gloves to further protect against abrasions and cuts. Temperature-resistant gloves keep skin from experiencing the effects of extreme heat or cold. Those working outdoors in freezing conditions or indoors in freezers, cold storage units, or cryogenics need to protect their hands from frostbite. Welders, firefighters, and other workers toiling around open flames need glove materials that can withstand high levels of heat up to as high as 600ºF (315ºC). Similarly, extreme temperature gloves are knitted with materials that allow users to safely work with diffusion furnaces, hot/dry glassware, and liquid gas flasks. Cut-resistant gloves safeguard wearers from snags, punctures, abrasions, and cuts and are most often found in industrial settings or animal handling applications. Cut-resistant gloves may be constructed of metal mesh or Kevlar®, perhaps with another material integrated in the fabric or added as coating to enhance the grip. Leather work gloves crafted of cowhide, goatskin, horsehide, deerskin, or pigskin are often both tough yet pliable for farming and agricultural uses, carpentry, heavy machinery driving, and related applications. | Fingerless gloves for cycling, sailing, and road racing also can be useful in work settings where optimal dexterity is necessary without needing to protect fingers from moving parts, contamination, or other hazards. | 
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