The proper
selection of gloves to match the type of exposure an employee may encounter
is a major consideration.
OSHA has issued guidelines
to help employers to establish a safe and healthy workplace environment
by approving certain gloves and PPE based on these exposures. These guidelines
do not certify a particular product. For example, in the case of possible
worker exposure to blood-borne pathogens, OSHA simply recommends the use
of "appropriate gloves" without specifically requiring the gloves
to be Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved.
We will cover the
basic selection criteria and discuss the various differences in types
of gloves and their applications. We will also provide links to OSHA and
other relevant sites to provide additional, more in-depth information.
You may also contact Argus at anytime for one-on-one
consultaion regarding your hand protection application.
Manufacturers
Guidelines - Although many manufacturers offer guidelines, these
are meant only as recommendations for appropriate glove use and are based
on standard laboratory test methods. Such tests may not adequately replicate
actual field conditions, so the ultimate responsibility of selecting the
proper glove remains with the employer.
Glove Classifications
- Because of the overlapping nature of glove groups, OSHA has not included
a classification system for all type of gloves in the 29 CFR part 1910.1389
standard. The following group of glove-types will highlight the dificulty
of developing an all encompasing classification scheme:
| Material:
- Nitrile
- PVA
- Natural Latex
- Viton
- Urethane
- Nylon
- UHMWPE (Spectra)
- Neoprene
- PVC
- Butyl
- Laminate
- Cotton
- Aramid (Kevlar)
- Leather
Service
Life:
- Disposable
(single use)
- Light Duty
- Heavy Duty
|
End-Use:
- Industrial
- Critical
Environment (clean room)
- Household
- Surgical
- Food handling
- Medical Exam
- Military
Protective
Properties:
- Chemical
resistant
- Abrasion
resistant
- Heat/Cold
resistant
- Cut Resistant
- Puncture
resistant
- Cold resistant
- High-voltage
insulating
|
Cuff:
- Straight
- Pinked
- Knit
- Safety
- Rolled
- Slip-on
- Gaunlet
Finish:
- Embossed
- Recessed
Diamond
- Wrinkle
- Embossed
Self-flushing
- Sandblast
- Bisque
- Rough
- Smooth
|
Gauge (thickness)
- Glove thickness is measured in gauge or mil (0.018" gauge = 18mil).
If you require more flexibility and a sensitive touch, choose a low gauge
glove. When seeking more protection, choose a heavy gauge (thicker) material.
Supported
vs. Unsupported - Supported gloves provide more durable hand
protection than unsupported gloves of the same material. Generally, a
supported glove has a fabric liner that is coated, while the unsupported
glove is comprised of 100% compound produced by dipping directly into
the compound. The unsupported glove provide more tactile sensitivity and
dexterity.
Size
- Properly fitted gloves are impotant for hand protection. Glove size
can be established by use of a tape measure to determine the circumference
of your hand around the palm area. For example, if your hand circumference
is 9", you would wear approximately a size 9 glove. It is important
to note that glove sizes vary, often gloves come ono-numeric sizes. Refer
to the following chart for guidance.
| Hand
Circumference |
Non-Numerical |
Numerical |
6" |
Extra Small (XS) |
6 |
| 7" |
Small (S) |
7 |
8" |
Medium (M) |
8 |
| 9" |
Large (L) |
|
10 |
Extra large (XL) |
10 |
| 11 |
Extra extra Large
(XXL) |
11 |
Length
- The depth of the hand/arm immersion in solution, and the extent of splash
protection needed are the main factors for determining glove length. Generally,
to protect the hand and wrist, you would select a glove 9 to 14"
long (23 to 36cm). Protecting the forearm requires elbow lenth gloves
14 to 18" long (36 to 46cm); and full arm protection requires a 31"
long (76cm) shoulder length glove, which is best suited for drum cleaning
or dry box uses.
Chemical Resistance
- Because of the many varied uses for gloves and chemicals found in the
workplace, we recommend contacting us or visiting one of the provided
links that offer the rated chemical resistance for glove materials. We
also recommend consulting your IH department to match the proper material
to chemical hazards found in your application. Issue of concern include:
Permeation
- the resistance to chemicals breaking the gloves's protective film,
which occurs at the molecular level.
Breakthrough
- The elasped time between initial chemical contact and detection inside
the glove
Low Detection
Limit (LDL) - Measured in parts per million (PPM), this is
the minimum level detected with analytical test equipment at breakthrough
time.
Degradation
- Physical properties of gloves may change due to contact with chemicals.
Visually detectable changes include color variation, swelling, or stifness.
Other changes may not be visable.
Additional
Information - We can assist you by providing information from
rate of degradation tests based on wheight change. In addition, we have
chemical resistance charts for protective polymer gloves and other glove
materials from manufactures.
Contact Argus
for more information on this and other Glove Use related issues. |
