Safety at hand: Use the right glove for proper protection

The workplace can create many hazards for your hands, whether from chemicals, cuts or burns. No single glove can provide appropriate protection for every work situation, so it is important to assess the risk for each task and select a glove that provides specialized protection.
The following is a list of gloves and their appropriate application, according to the National Safety Council:
PPE - Many Gloves for Different Applications

 

Which Glove is Best?

Glove	Uses
Cotton	Light duty material handling and  cleanup work
Leather	Equipment handling, general construction, heavy cleanup, welding, moderately hot or cold material handling
Shock absorbing	Operating rotary hammers and other vibrating equipment
Kevlar or Wire mesh	Work with sheet metal, glass, or heavy cutting These gloves Do Not provide puncture protection
Rubber, nitrile, neoprene, PVC, PVA and other synthetics	Chemical gloves must be chosen for the specific chemical being used
Insulated	Extreme high and low temperatures

How Chemicals Get Inside a glove

• Permeation - Diffusion of a chemical through a material on a molecular basis
• Penetration – Chemical enters  through zippers, punctures, or seams
• Degradation – Chemical causes a change in the physical properties of the material

Table adapted from: Forsberg, K. & Mansdorf, S.Z. Quick Selection Guide to
Chemical Protective Clothing. 2nd Ed. Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY, NY

Glove Care

• Inspect gloves before use for tears, excessive wear, and punctures
• Store in a clean, dry location
• Discard leather and cloth gloves if they become saturated with oil or other chemicals
• Leak test chemical gloves by sealing the wrist and filling the glove with air
  -Use a clean plastic tube or low pressure air line – not your mouth!

Glove Sizing
With a ruler, start at index finger and measure the width of your hand in the knuckle area

Distance	Size
2 to 2½”	6	X Small
2½ to 3”	7	Small
3 to 3½”	8	Medium
3½ to 4”	9	Large
4 to 4½”	10	X Large
4½ to 5”	11	XX Large

Hand Care

• Avoid washing your hands with solvents, harsh soaps, or abrasives
• Clean and bandage all cuts and abrasions
• Immediately remove any imbedded foreign materials
• Wash immediately after using any chemical – Even if you did not detect leakage
• Pay attention to skin rashes—get an immediate medical evaluation
• Wear cotton gloves under rubber gloves to reduce sweating

• Cotton and fabric gloves: These can keep hands clean and protect against abrasions, but may not be strong enough to handle work with rough or sharp materials.
• Coated fabric gloves: This type of glove can provide protection against some moderate concentrated chemicals. They can be used in laboratory work provided they are strong enough to protect against the specific chemical being handled.
• Rubber, plastic or synthetic gloves: These types of glove can be used when cleaning or working with oils, solvents and other chemicals.
• Leather gloves: These should be used when welding, as the leather can resist sparks and moderate heat. The risk of cuts and abrasions also can be minimized by wearing leather gloves.
• Aluminized gloves: These gloves are recommended for welding, furnace and foundry work, as they provide reflective and insulating protection.
• Kevlar gloves: These have a wide variety of industrial applications. They are cut- and abrasion-resistant and provide protection against both heat and cold.
• Chemical/liquid-resistant gloves: Several types of gloves help protect against specific chemicals:
• Butyl rubber gloves: nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and peroxide
• Natural latex/rubber gloves: water solutions or acids, alkalis, salts, and ketones
• Neoprene gloves: hydraulic fluids, gasoline, alcohols and organic acids
• Nitrile rubber gloves: chlorinated solvents