Safety Gloves Basics
Get the right fit when it comes to the safety gloves for your industry
Safety gloves are visible everywhere: in doctors' offices, in restaurants, in chemical labs, on construction sites. Sometimes you even see bank tellers counting bills with safety gloves on. Everyone is covering their hands with work gloves today, but not everyone knows the safety gloves basics for their industry.Whether you are using industrial work gloves to protect your hands from cuts or crushing, electrical safety gloves to protect against shock, or lighter safety gloves to stop disease transmission, you need information about safety gloves that applies directly to you. To get the right work glove for you and your workers, think about three things:
1. Choose the right safety glove for the job and know how to use it.
2. Make a decision about whether to use vinyl or latex safety work gloves.
3. Know the limits of cut-resistant gloves and safety.
Get a grip on the basics of safety gloves
It's pretty rare for a business owner to do a lot of investigation before purchasing or using safety work gloves. Usually, a certain type of glove has always been used, and that's the one the owner keeps on using. But prior use is not a guarantee that you're using the right gloves. Take the time to start from scratch and choose the best work glove for you.
Try: Start with federal requirements for safety work gloves at the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA glove safety site "A Basic Guide for Selecting the Proper Gloves." MAPA Spontex has a Glove Selection Guide for many industries that lets you narrow down your options to very specific jobs. No work glove will do its job if your employees don't use it correctly; see the New York Times for an article on safety glove use and abuse.
Choose a side when it comes to latex or vinyl gloves and safety
For years, latex safety gloves were the norm for workers who needed maximum dexterity, such as food service and medical workers. Then latex was discovered to cause allergies and vinyl was substituted, but within the last few years problems were discovered with the phthalates in vinyl. You'll find arguments in support of each side: make your decision as informed as possible.
Try: Get an FAQ on Vinyl's Health, Safety, and Environmental Performance at OMNOVA Solutions. MarketWatch from the Wall Street Journal has an article on the vinyl shortage and its effect on safety glove prices, as well as a list of the pros of using latex safety gloves.
Eliminate cut injuries with the right cut-resistant industrial work gloves
Cuts are a particular issue for users of industrial safety gloves (from automotive manufacturing to meat processing), oilfield safety gloves, and mechanics' safety gloves. The name "cut-resistant glove" can lead workers to a false sense of security, but no glove can prevent all cuts. Get the right glove and use it properly to keep your workers safe.
Try: Read a thorough presentation of Cut Resistant Glove Selection and Use from Lab Safety Supply. Ask the Meatman has a video of cut-resistant work gloves in action, which shows exactly the kinds of cuts this type of safety glove protects against.
- If your employees are using gloves to protect against contamination, whether biological or chemical, schedule regular training updates on how to remove and dispose of contaminated safety gloves.
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