Your hands are the primary means by which you interact with your environment. They grab doorknobs daily, pick up trash, and hold the steering wheel. Because your hands touch and do so many things, protecting them in dangerous environments is vital.

With competitive price and timely delivery, T-Safety sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Whether working with knives, stringing a barbed-wire fence, or navigating through the area of a chemical release, we need to be able to protect our hands. Otherwise, severe lacerations, infections, loss of movement, or even dangerous absorption of chemicals can result.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 01

  How does OSHA categorize gloves?

• 02

  Leather, Canvas, or Metal Mesh Gloves

• 03

  Fabric and Coated Fabric Gloves

• 04

  Chemical and Liquid-Resistant Gloves

• 05

  Insulating Rubber Gloves

• 06

  How do I know which glove to choose for the job?

• 07

  How do I know what level of cut protection I need?

• 08

  What are the best gloves for NBC threats?

• 09

  Proper gloves are essential to disaster safety

How does OSHA categorize gloves?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classifies gloves under various categories in the US. For our purposes, we're sticking with their classification system as it's a good representation of the number and types of gloves available for work purposes.

OSHA glove categories:

• Leather, canvas, or metal mesh gloves

• Fabric and coated fabric gloves

• Chemical and liquid-resistant gloves

• Insulating rubber gloves

Let’s look at each in turn.

Leather, Canvas, or Metal Mesh Gloves

This gloves category is helpful for general work as a protection against abrasions, cuts, and scratches. They're not meant to be used for chemical contact work, as they don't offer significant protection against such substances.

Leather Gloves

These are typical work gloves that can be found in any garden shed or barn. While they offer decent protection against abrasions, they don't provide cut resistance. When using a blade of any kind, these won't provide an adequate level of safety.

However, they offer low-level protection against heat, and they can protect the hands when handling rough objects (e.g., masonry) and against sparks and other minor threats. They offer no protection against chemicals and will absorb liquids. For tasks that require a great degree of dexterity, these are a terrible choice. Fortunately, they are tear-resistant, meaning they have a long lifespan as gloves go.

Canvas Gloves

These also protect against low-level heat and abrasions, but that's genuinely about it. These are commonly used in gardening.

Metal Mesh Gloves

While these gloves offer superior cut and puncture protection, they do not provide heat protection. Because metal conducts heat, attempting to pick up a very hot object with these gloves is likely to result in a burn.

Fabric and Coated Fabric Gloves

Typically, both of these types of gloves are made of cotton, and they are not designed for heavy-duty use.

Fabric Gloves

These simple, general-purpose gloves offer minor protection against abrasions, but that's about it. They are not suitable for any chemical work whatsoever. They are typically used for aesthetic purposes or to protect items from the dirt and oils on the wearers' hands.

Coated Fabric Gloves

The coated fabric is simply a cotton glove on which the palm and finger areas have been treated with a rubberized coating. This provides a better grip when dealing with slippery objects and some protection against chemical agents (provided they don't come in contact with the cotton back of the glove).

Chemical and Liquid-Resistant Gloves

Chemical and Liquid-Resistant Gloves are the gloves category we're predominantly interested in here at MIRA Safety. We want to ensure that our customers are protected from biological and chemical threats, requiring chemical and liquid-resistant gloves. Anything less won't keep you as safe from these agents as you should be. As other articles pointed out, nerve agents can quickly soak through clothing and flow through gloves made of the same materials as clothing.

The same applies to bacteria and viruses, which are only a few microns in size. Wearing gloves with "holes" in the stitching that are larger than a few microns means there is no natural barrier between the skin and the infectious agent. It's akin to trying to stop mosquitoes with a chain-link fence.

Proper protection in either regard requires chemical and liquid-resistant gloves. As this is the type of glove MIRA Safety is interested in, we're examining them in great detail.

So, what are the options? Let's take a look.

Disposable Nitrile Gloves

These are a good choice for general laboratory use or those working in a healthcare setting, where incidental chemical contact is likely. They offer good protection against bodily fluids and tissues and admirable protection against grease, organic solvents, chlorinated solvents, oils, and some acids and bases.

In addition, they can be used by those with a latex allergy (they're hypoallergenic), and they provide a good level of manual dexterity. When working with syringes, flasks, or other objects that require fine motor control, manual dexterity is a necessity.

One of the great things about nitrile gloves is that when exposed to chemicals, they have a longer lifespan than many other forms of disposable gloves. They won't deteriorate as quickly as some, and it's undeniable when they rip or tear. This allows the user to promptly address the problem and avoid a dangerous predicament.

All of these factors make nitrile gloves an excellent choice for various situations.

When to avoid disposable nitrile gloves

Nitrile gloves don't offer sufficient protection against chemicals. In particular, when working with acetates, aromatic solvents, halogenated solvents, ketones, or potent oxidizing agents... this type of glove should be avoided.

Disposable Neoprene Gloves

Neoprene is a fake rubber and is another good general-use glove. Much like nitrile gloves, neoprene gloves provide a superior level of manual dexterity, and rips or tears are very obvious.

These are a good choice for incidental chemical contact, and they function admirably when working around acids, bases, and peroxides.

Many mechanics like using these gloves because they protect against these types of chemicals (often found in automobiles). In addition, neoprene gloves typically have a longer lifespan against chemical agents than natural rubber, meaning they're cost-effective protection that won't break the bank.

When to avoid disposable neoprene gloves

When working directly with chemicals (e.g., immersing the hands/holding a wet sponge) or working around halogenated solvents, a different type of gloves should be used.

Disposable Latex Gloves

These gloves used to be prevalent in healthcare settings because of the protection and manual dexterity they provide. However, the prevalence of latex allergies has resulted in these becoming less common in medical settings.

While latex gloves provide incidental protection against bodily fluids, some acids, and some bases, detecting rips is difficult. This can result in accidental exposure to bloodborne pathogens or noxious chemical compounds. Benefits of latex gloves include abrasion resistance, elasticity, comfort, and protection against acids, alkalis, salts, and ketones.

When to avoid disposable latex gloves

Those allergic to latex or who might come in contact with someone who is (e.g., a surgeon operating on a patient with a latex allergy) and those working around organic solvents should avoid latex gloves.

Butyl Rubber Gloves

For direct chemical contact, these synthetic rubber gloves are superb. They can be decontaminated and reused, resistant to punctures and rips, and protect against vapors, alcohols, aldehydes, gases, acids, bases, esters, nitro compounds, and ketones. They also offer a good deal of abrasion resistance and are resistant to oxidation.

Another benefit of these gloves is that they remain flexible in the cold. Many gloves stiffen when exposed to cold weather, hindering manual dexterity. In cold temperatures, this can make operating a weapon, programming a handheld radio, or picking a lock much more complicated than it would be otherwise.

When to avoid butyl rubber gloves

A different type of glove should be used if you need a great deal of manual dexterity or will be working directly with gasoline or aliphatic/aromatic/halogenated hydrocarbons.

Viton Gloves

Often, when butyl rubber gloves can't be used, Viton gloves are used instead. Like butyl rubber, they are rip and puncture resistant but offer better dexterity and protection against aromatic/chlorinated hydrocarbons. They're also a good choice for direct chemical contact.

When to avoid Viton gloves

When working with ketones, choose a different type of glove as these will degrade rapidly.

Polyvinyl Chloride Gloves

These are akin to Viton gloves because they offer decent manual dexterity, are suitable for direct chemical contact, and have similar puncture/rip resistance. However, they look profoundly different. These are often the glove of choice for working around acids, amines, bases, fats, oils, and peroxides.

When to avoid polyvinyl chloride gloves

When working with organic solvents, polyvinyl chloride gloves will not offer adequate protection.

Insulating Rubber Gloves

These gloves have many of the same properties as butyl rubber gloves and can also deal with extreme temperatures. Since these are often used in electrical work, they are tested by being soaked for 16 hours and then exposed to voltage. The degree to which they insulate against the electricity determines the grade they receive.

How do I choose the proper glove size?

Everybody's hands are different, and with gloves, it's hard to find a one-size-fits-all solution. For superior protection, gloves must be a good fit for the individual's hand.

If the gloves are too small, dexterity is limited, the risk of tears is greater, and the protection is inadequate. When gloves are too large, any chance at average manual dexterity is minimal, the possibility of accidents is greater, and a loose cuff can allow biological agents, chemicals, or other undesirable substances (e.g., sharp straw while bailing hay) to find their way into the glove.

The company is the world’s best ppe safety gloves supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

A perfectly sized glove is a necessity. How are gloves sized, though?

The process is simple, and the only tool needed is a simple cloth tape measure. Wrap the tape measure around the palm to measure the circumference of the hand.

• <7" is Extra Small

• 7.5" is Small

• 8" is Medium

• 9" is Large

• 10" is Extra Large

• >10.5" is Extra Extra Large

Once you have that information, you'll be able to choose a glove that fits appropriately.

How do I know which glove to choose for the job?

There are several questions one should consider before choosing a glove. As noted above, the wrong glove for the job can easily (and quickly) lead to injury, so choosing the right glove is critical.

Here's what to consider.

What job am I about to do?

Will you be handling blades? What about slippery objects, dangerous chemicals, or items that put you at risk of abrasions? Will you be working with dangerously hot or cold objects?

Knowing what you'll be working with is the first thing to consider before picking gloves.

What are the health consequences if you come into contact with what you’re working with?

Whether you're a surgeon working with bodily fluids or a chemist developing new pesticides, you need to know what you're dealing with. Not understanding the threat is risky because the protection you choose may need to be improved.

Had Madame Curie understood the dangers of radiation, she would not have carried radioactive minerals around in her pocket. She didn't understand the health consequences, though. You want to avoid making the same mistake, and understanding the health consequences of inadequate protection is vital to prevent such an outcome.

How long will you be in contact with dangerous chemicals?

Some gloves protect against dangerous chemicals for a longer duration than others. If you are working in a lab setting where you anticipate having your hands immersed in chemicals for long periods, you need to know that your gloves can handle the threat.

To be as safe as possible, you need to know how long the gloves can be in contact with dangerous chemicals and still protect you. A chemical will eventually penetrate all gloves if the contact is long enough.

How much protection do you need?

Do you need gloves that extend up the forearm, or is a simple glove that terminates at the wrist adequate for the task? Consider this to determine the appropriate glove length.

For cleaning gym equipment with Lysol all day, gloves that terminate at the wrist are likely sufficient. A longer glove is desirable if assisting with the difficult birth of a breech baby calf.

How much manual dexterity do you need?

Manual dexterity is less critical for gross-motor tasks, such as stringing razor wire. In such situations, grace can be sacrificed for bulkier gloves that provide better protection against cuts, punctures, and abrasions.

However, hand protection is still necessary for filling test tubes via pipette, but a much greater level of manual dexterity is required. Attempting such a delicate task with bulky leather gloves would only result in potentially dangerous accidents.

Knowing the required level of manual dexterity is a must.

Are your gloves reusable?

Some gloves are reusable, so you need to know how to decontaminate them if necessary. For example, if you're maneuvering through a war zone where chemical attacks occur regularly, you need to know how to decontaminate your gloves.

Do you have a latex allergy?

Many individuals are allergic to latex. While latex is a fantastic material for gloves, if it causes significant skin irritation, that's a problem. Knowing whether such an allergy is present will help you choose the best glove for the job.

How do I know what level of cut protection I need?

If you'll be dealing with sharp surfaces and need gloves to protect against accidental cuts and punctures, be aware that gloves have graded levels of protection.

There are various standards for measuring the cut resistance of gloves (EN388/, ISO , etc.), but we will focus on ANSI/ISEA 105. This metric assigns a number grade to gloves to indicate what types of activities they're suitable for.

Gloves rated 1 or 2 are for low cut-risk activities, while those placed at level 5 are the most cut-resistant gloves available. Knowing the cut resistance rating is crucial when choosing gloves for a task involving sharp objects or blades.

What are the best gloves for NBC threats?

Butyl rubber gloves are the best choice for NBC threats. As mentioned above, these gloves provide superior protection against a wide range of chemical agents, remain functional in cold weather, are reusable, and are also very strong.

These are all the traits that civilians need in the event of an NBC attack, as civilians will be on their own for an indeterminate time in the immediate aftermath of such an event. They won't know when things might return to "normal," nor are they likely to see whether they're moving through a contaminated area (e.g., a VX release).

Our NC-11 Butyl Gloves are specifically designed to protect against chemical agents, biological threats, and nuclear hazardous materials. It can be worn for upwards of 30 days without losing its protective properties while featuring extra cuffs to fit hazmat suits and uses a non-irritant construction. With a 15-year shelf life, this will more than last you for the next disaster.

For these reasons, butyl gloves provide the best protection against NBC threats. They're as tough as nails, last a very long time, and can be decontaminated—that's something virtually no other gloves can say.

Proper gloves are essential to disaster safety

The proper gloves are necessary whether you're looking for heavy-duty work gloves to prevent scrapes (and subsequent infections), avoid exposure to infectious bloodborne agents, or maneuver through a chemical weapons attack.

Working through any of these environments without proper gloves invites potentially catastrophic consequences. Half the battle is knowing which gloves to pick, and choosing the wrong gear for the job can be just as dangerous as choosing nothing. Imagine a hostage rescue team armed solely with shotguns, for example.

The same principle applies to gloves.

What are you preparing for? What risks do the tasks involve? Knowing the answers to these questions and the others outlined above will allow you to make the right choice to protect yourself and your family.

Personal protective equipment (or PPE) has long played a critical role in keeping people safe on the job, whether they work in a medical laboratory or a warehouse. The specific type of PPE chosen for employees depends on numerous factors — there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to protecting a team. This article outlines ten of the most important factors to remember when choosing PPE for employees.

Current Problems with PPE

A study revealed that over eight in ten employers report struggles with getting their employees to wear PPE consistently. An astounding 83 percent said they experience these issues “often,” and eight percent said it happens “sometimes.” Employees list several reasons why they don’t wear PPE consistently, ranging from simply not wanting to wear it (that’s the case for 72 percent) to not having correctly fitting supplies (14 percent). Some employees also reported not wearing PPE for comfort and safety reasons. For example, those who work in hot climates find that they overheat when wearing masks and protective clothing. To avoid issues like dehydration and heat stroke, they choose to forego PPE altogether.

Choosing PPE for Employee Health and Safety

If employees are not wearing PPE for any of the reasons listed above, making better selections could help to resolve this problem. The following are the Top 10 suggestions to help companies pick the right products for their teams:

1. Industry Standards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that PPE is required for safety and should be provided in several workplace situations (across multiple industries), including the following:

• Construction workers must wear hardhats and earplugs
• Healthcare professionals who could be exposed to COVID-19 should wear respirators and facial coverings
• Employees working with lasers and other eye hazards should wear safety goggles
• Molten metal workers must have protective leg guards
• Those working in wet or slippery environments should wear non-slip shoes
• People working with corrosive chemicals must have protective gloves
• Airport grounds crews should wear earmuffs
• People working at pools or on boats must have flotation devices

If there is uncertainty about the types of PPE employees are technically supposed to wear, it is possible to confirm choices by checking the latest guidelines from OSHA and other governing bodies.

Additionally, EHS management software with hazard and PPE assessment capabilities can assist with this process. Once hazardous activities have been entered into the system and sorted by location, (with designated rooms, buildings, or benches for the various hazardous activities) an assessment can be run that will automatically flag certain tasks and suggest PPE and other controls that may be necessary for workers. Such a tool is designed to assist companies with PPE selection by creating summaries of the entered safety and hazard data for specific locations, groups of people working together, types of hazards, etc. For example, if a company utilized this software in conjunction with an electronic chemical inventory and SDS management solution, PPE would be recommended based on exposures and hazards related to chemicals within the database.

2. Climate

Companies should remember that climate-related issues, mainly working in high temperatures or areas with high humidity, can contribute to PPE problems and employees choosing to forego them. If these kinds of issues are occurring in an organization, it is possible to find more breathable, temperature-regulating options. For example, there are masks made of cooling or moisture-wicking materials.

3. Threat Level

Some jobs are inherently more dangerous than others. The threat level employees face will, naturally, influence the amount and type of PPE they wear. For example, in a construction company, employees may regularly risk electrical shock while on the job. In that case, they will need either Class A (which protects against mild shocks) or Class B (which protects against stronger shocks) hard hats for maximum safety.

4. Workplace Hazards

The specific types of hazards employees face in the workplace must also be considered. Whether they are exposed to electricity, dangerous chemicals, or radioactive hazards, they must have equipment specifically designed to protect against these things. It is important to always look for PPE specific to the employees’ field, remembering that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. 

5. Functionality

Choosing personal protective equipment for a specific industry and the type of work employees do will keep everyone safer on the job. The same goes for selecting the most functional products. For example, purchasing safety glasses that have the incorrect coating for an area’s specific humidity and temperature ranges could lead to the glasses fogging up and interfering with employees’ vision, hindering focus, and contributing to accidents, errors, and reduced productivity.

6. Comfort

If employees’ masks are constantly digging into their faces or their hard hat does not fit properly, they might be more inclined to skip putting on PPE altogether. To avoid these issues (and the safety risks that accompany them), organizations should take comfort into account. Choosing materials that are designed for a specific climate to prevent overheating or getting too cold or considering factors like breathability when selecting items such as back braces are both examples of this.  

7. Fit

Another way to improve employee comfort regarding PPE is to find flexible options that they can customize to their bodies. Items like masks with adjustable straps can be altered to work for different employees, increasing their comfort and providing a greater level of protection. After all, how effective is a mask with gaps on the sides because it is too large for the particular wearer’s face?

8. Sustainability

In some circles, a common argument against PPE is a lack of sustainability. Luckily, there are ways to select sustainable options and protect workers. For example, there are PPE products made from recyclable materials. If a company is concerned about environmental impacts, there is also the possibility of translating that concern into more robust energy and waste management protocols.

9. Visibility

In addition to needing to see clearly, employees should be highly visible while wearing PPE. If an employee cannot see their coworker coming or does not know where they are, it could cause an accident, serious injuries, or production issues. One example of prioritizing visibility would be airport workers on the job at night. They are typically required to cover their PPE in reflective tape to increase visibility and reduce their chances of being hit or hurt.

10. Price

Of course, PPE prices also matter. It might be tempting for organizations to cut corners to save money. However, quality should never be compromised for the sake of a reduced price. Decreasing costs while increasing employees’ risk of being injured or getting infected on the job, can result in a greater loss of money in the long run.

Investing in the Right Tools for the Job

Selecting the most suitable personal protective equipment will give employees peace of mind and reduce their risk of getting sick or injured on the job. Following the guidelines discussed above, with specific attention to the regulations in place and an open mind toward the tools and options available, will assist companies in the selection of the best products for any team.

Author Bio

Guest Post from Nick Warrick. Nick is the sales manager at All Seasons Uniforms, a professional workwear company based outside of Chicago that has been in business since .

Publisher Bio

The SafetyStratus Research Advisory Group (RAG) brings together thought leaders from the global environmental, health, and safety community to promote best practices and provide key insights in the profession and the industries they serve. The Research Advisory Group also advocates, where practical, the intersection of and advances with the use of technology, such as the SafetyStratus enterprise EHS software platform. Group membership consists of representatives from across varied disciplines and market sectors as well as select members of the SafetyStratus team.
The primary objectives of the SafetyStratus RAG partnership are to:

Contact us to discuss your requirements of dust proof goggles. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

• Build a strategic partnership between EHS practitioners and the SafetyStratus team.
• Provide engaging and practical content to the global EHS community.
• Provide discipline and market feedback specific to SafetyStratus products and services.