Select the Right Gloves to Prevent Employee Hand Injuries

OSHA says 70 percent of workers sustaining hand injuries were not wearing gloves, and that the other 30 percent were wearing improper or damaged gloves.

These estimates underscore the need for proper glove selection and care. Some general glove use and care instructions for your next safety meeting on hand protection include:

• Make sure the gloves fit your hand properly. Gloves that are too small will limit your hand’s mobility and could tear. Gloves that are too big will limit your dexterity.
• Hands should be clean before using gloves. If you put dirty or greasy hands inside your gloves, you are subjecting your hands to potential irritation because dirt and chemicals are being rubbed into your skin inside the glove.
• Fabric and leather gloves should be cleaned regularly or discarded.
• Before wearing, inspect gloves for damage. Replace gloves if they have tears, holes, or other minor defects.
• Make sure gloves are the right length for the job.
• Do not use fabric or leather gloves on liquid chemicals because the material will soak up the chemical.
• To safely remove contaminated gloves: (1) Grasp the outside of the glove (near the cuff) on one hand with the other gloved hand and pull the glove off. (2) Insert fingers from the hand without a glove under the cuff of the glove on the gloved hand. (3) Grasp the inside (clean) surface of the glove and pull it off.

Your hands are your most valuable resource. Because they are crucial for our lives and work, we must protect them. Get the vital safety information you need in a Free Best Practices Report. Find out how to get your copy. Click here.

Glove Selection

Selecting the right glove depends on the nature of the job. For example:

• Chemical-resistant gloves can be made of rubber, latex, Viton®, butyl, nitrile, neoprene, or PVC, and are graded by the manufacturer for degradation, breakthrough time, and permeation rate. The type of chemical-resistant gloves chosen will be specific to the chemical being used.
• Gloves made of Kevlar® and metal mesh are resistant to cuts and punctures. These kinds of gloves should be worn when handling saws, knives, or glass.
• Leather or canvas work gloves are commonly used to protect against cuts and scrapes. These can be coated with other materials to improve grip.
• Extreme temperatures of hot or cold require special gloves. Gloves made of terrycloth, leather, or pigskin help protect against burns. Gloves with liners are helpful when working in cold conditions.
• Electricians need lineman’s gloves designed to protect against different levels of voltage. High-voltage gloves are black rubber with red interior so that any cuts or damage to the outside layer can easily be seen. Liners are worn under these gloves to help absorb perspiration.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hand and finger injuries are second only to back strains and sprains in lost workdays. Make sure your workplace is safe. A free Best Practices Report can tell you what you need to do. Find out more.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about chemical-resistant gloves and tell you more about the featured Best Practices Report that you can access free.