Wearing protective gloves; when and why it is necessary

Personal protective equipment refers to tools and gear that serve to minimize the risk of injuries and accidents during various work activities, aimed at enhancing the health and safety of workers. Among these essential items, protective gloves play a crucial role in almost every working environment.

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Wearing protective gloves safeguards hands from exposure to potentially hazardous, infectious, or contaminating agents, which explains why they are utilized across multiple sectors, ranging from cleaning to industry, and even the healthcare sector.

It’s important to note that there are specialized protective gloves designed with specific technical features to address particular functions, based on the field of application. In addition to typical protective gloves, there are also variants aimed at minimizing the risk of contamination and cross-infection, especially prevalent in healthcare and food preparation.

Choosing the right protective gloves based on risk assessment

Since workers’ hands face a myriad of potential dangers that differ by industry, selecting the most appropriate protective gloves relies heavily on evaluating several levels of risk:

• Level I risk: This indicates minimal risk, where the chance of injury to the hands is negligible. In such cases, light, protective gloves suffice.
• Level II risk: Here, hands may be vulnerable to cuts, lacerations, puncture wounds, and similar injuries. A CE-standardized protective glove with the relevant markings is essential.
• Level III risk: This category involves critical or irreversible hazards to the hands, necessitating gloves specifically tailored for the environment or materials handled.

Regulations such as EN ISO stipulate general requirements for use, safety, ergonomics, and labeling standards; EN 388 focuses on mechanical risks like cuts and punctures; EN 407 pertains to thermal hazards; EN 511 assesses waterproofing and resistance to both convective and contact cold; EN 374 identifies protections against chemical risks; while EN 12477 specifically addresses welding applications. The EU Regulation /425 now replaces the earlier directive 89/686/EEC regarding Personal Protective Equipment.

The gloves utilized across medical and healthcare settings should provide biological protection and are typically crafted from materials such as nitrile, latex, or vinyl. Whichever model is chosen must comply with 93/42/EEC directives and regulations EN 455 parts 1 to 4, alongside respecting the Consolidated text on the Health and Safety of Workers.

Finally, there are food-contact gloves, which are mandatory when handling food products.

How to select the perfect protective gloves

Choosing the right protective gloves starts with understanding the specific task and identifying the risk of injury to the hands.

However, selecting the correct gloves goes beyond just evaluating these factors; they must still ensure the health of the user while not restricting movement. Thus, a glove should maintain a level of hand dexterity, enabling the worker to manipulate objects easily and precisely. Various technical specifications, including the glove material, thickness, deformability, and elasticity, greatly affect this feature.

Moreover, it is vital for protective gloves to be ergonomically designed and comfortable for extended wear; selecting the right size is crucial to avoid discomfort from gloves that are either too small or too large. The glove length (either wrist-length or forearm-length) also needs consideration, as does the tactile sensitivity provided by the glove, which is essential for detecting risks that may not be visible.

Lastly, protective gloves must consist of high-quality materials suitable for skin contact to prevent skin irritations or allergic reactions. If the materials could cause allergic responses, the manufacturer must provide detailed safety information.

Proper methodology for wearing protective gloves

In conclusion, it’s crucial to explain the importance of wearing these essential personal protective items correctly.

Proper use of protective gloves involves the right techniques for putting them on and taking them off. For instance, disposable gloves used to shield against biological risks should be donned after thoroughly washing hands, and they need to be changed if they become dirty or compromised. When removing gloves, grasp the cuff without touching the exterior and peel them off, turning them inside out to contain any contaminants.

Subsequently, hands should be washed again with soap and water.

Overall, using protective gloves in the workplace must always be accompanied by proper training for employees. This training is vital not only for understanding the significance of these protective measures but also for their correct usage, storage, and disposal.

REFLEXX specializes in the design, manufacture, and distribution of disposable and reusable gloves made from nitrile, latex, polyethylene, vinyl, and other materials. Our protective gloves are crafted with advanced technology using top-quality raw materials, meeting the rigorous demands for hand protection across various fields including industry, healthcare, cosmetics, and food processing.

Gloves: The Overlooked PPE

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, becomes crucial when safety measures fail. For instance, a helmet is essential only after a head injury occurs, and cut-resistant leg protection is necessary only after back-saw kickback injuries happen. The core purpose of PPE is to prevent severe injuries from unsafe actions or accidents.

We use PPE to mitigate ongoing exposure to hazards such as noise, which could lead to hearing loss, and we wear eye protection to safeguard against eye injuries from irritants like sawdust.

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For tree workers performing arboricultural tasks, it is imperative to wear a helmet, hearing protection, eye protection, and cut-resistant leg guards when using chainsaws. Workers also need appropriate footwear with non-slip soles and ankle support, which they must acquire themselves.

There’s additional PPE that, while not explicitly outlined in our Z133 standards, can offer crucial injury protection, including gloves. Preferences vary; some workers always wear gloves, while others dislike the disconnect from feeling tools. However, many high-quality gloves offer the right amount of traction to enhance grip.

While gloves can enhance grip, they also protect against various injuries. One frequent injury for tree workers is friction burns, caused by skin abrasion due to rapid line movement through the hands. Experienced individuals can attest that such burns, though painful, are not typically severe. Preventing these injuries by using gloves with reinforced palms can significantly reduce their incidence.

Tree workers can encounter thermal burns from contact with hot surfaces, such as gas-powered chain saws. A well-constructed pair of gloves can provide adequate insulation against such potential burns. However, general gloves do not suffice for electrical burns; workers should use specialized rubber gloves designed for electrical line work.

Gloves also shield against minor scrapes and lacerations caused by hand saws, which can create small but painful injuries. To mitigate these risks, it's essential to select gloves with cut resistance, which varies depending on the glove material and thickness. Ratings for cut resistance range from A1 (least resistant) to A9 (most resistant), with most arborist gloves falling between A4 and A6, providing both protection and flexibility.

Puncture hazards, particularly thorns from Honeylocust trees, necessitate gloves that can withstand such threats. Gloves can carry puncture resistance ratings from 1 to 5, ranging from minimal to significant protection. Though no glove is entirely puncture-proof, available options maintain a comfortable fit while offering substantial resistance.

Other advantages of using gloves during chainsaw operations include reducing vibrations. Gloves with memory foam can effectively dampen vibrations from power tools.

In pesticide applications, gloves are a vital PPE requirement as specified on chemical labels. According to ANSI Z133, section 8.11.1, gloves are mandatory for operating high-pressure air-excavation equipment.

Additionally, gloves are essential for minimizing exposure to allergic reactions from plants like poison ivy. They effectively reduce contact, though care must be taken regarding cleanliness, as glove materials can absorb urushiol oils and become contaminated.

When applying pesticides, gloves should be unlined and elbow-length to prevent exposure to chemicals. While the specific glove requirements are detailed on pesticide labels, barrier laminates and thick butyl rubber are highly effective for most applications.

However, gloves are not designed to protect against blood-borne pathogens. For situation involving injuries, disposable gloves constructed from nitrile are preferable, as they provide superior protection and reduce allergies common with latex materials.

Lastly, gloves must provide safety without introducing additional risks. Loose gloves can become entangled in equipment, while those with gauntlet cuffs may snag on branches.

Creating an ideal glove involves finding a balance; they should be lightweight to allow touch sensitivity while thick enough to provide insulation against thermal and abrasion burns. Since cold protection is also a valid consideration, various options are available to suit different tasks.

A final note

The primary purpose of PPE is to mitigate the consequences of workplace errors. Although gloves are not explicitly stated as essential PPE, they remain necessary for many tree care operations. Employers must approve and provide clothing and footwear suited for known hazards, as referenced in Section 3 General Safety Requirement, 3.3 Personal Protective Equipment. Anyone who has experienced rope burns or minor lacerations while performing tasks can attest to the importance of good gloves.

John Ball, Ph.D., BCMA, CTSP, A-NREMT (Advanced – National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians), is a professor of forestry at South Dakota State University.

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