Page 46 - OHS, October 2020

PPE: HAND PROTECTION
A Requirements Checklist for Work Safety Gloves
When accidents occur, the proper set of gloves can save a worker’s hand.
BY JOE GENG
Ihave spent my entire life in the business of making gloves. I grew up in Acton, Canada, where the smell of the leather tanneries hung in the air day and night. I started helping my father make
and sell gloves when I was eight. After I got a degree in chemistry, I was sent to study at the Reutlingen leather school in Germany, which you might call the “Hogwarts of leather making.” I continue to work in the family business, which has grown into one of North America’s biggest glove suppliers.
If there’s one thing I understand, it’s how important the proper gloves are for safety. When accidents occur, the proper set of gloves can save a worker’s hand.
When you set out to buy gloves, you need to compile a clear set of minimum requirements. These requirements will be based on any industry/ government standards that apply to your work as well as the features your workers need in a glove to be able to complete their jobs safely.
Your requirements checklist will depend on the specific task the glove is needed for, but to help you get started, here’s a general checklist of things to look for.
Dexterity, Grip & Resistance
Dexterity. There are standards for dexterity, but really you need to run specific trials to understand the dexterity needs of your workers. Before purchasing gloves, you should acquire samples and have workers test them out for about a week. If your workers can’t complete their tasks while wearing the gloves, they won’t wear them, and gloves only work if they’re worn.
Grip. As with dexterity, determining your requirements for grip requires specific trials. The
gloves may also require special coatings. Sheet metal, for example, is usually covered in a metal-handling oil to prevent rust—and you need a specific glove for the work. If you’re making a large sheet of glass, say for the skin of a highrise, then you need an extremely good grip, along with cut resistance. If the glass slips, you instinctively tighten your grip, and the glass can cut through you like a blade. “General purpose” gloves will not suffice.
Cut Resistance. Cuts are the overwhelming number one on the list of hand injuries, so cut resistance is critical. Modern materials have revolutionized cut resistance. For example, Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests, can be spun into thread and knitted into gloves to provide remarkable cut resistance. If you’re wearing the correct glove and a piece of glass slides into your hand, you may not get cut. If you do get cut, the wound will be far less severe than it otherwise would have been.
You should make your choice on cut resistance based on standard ANSI cut levels.
Abrasion Resistance. Abrasion injuries are second only to cuts, which makes abrasion resistance another important factor. Leather still provides great abrasion resistance, but modern materials are catching up fast.
Abrasion resistance also relates to the overall life of the glove. I have seen manufacturing environments, for example, where even high-quality gloves must be changed out for a new pair four times a day. If your work includes substantial abrasion, you will want to run a glove trial long enough to see if the glove holds up over time.
Puncture Resistance. When choosing gloves for puncture resistance, you need to know if you
42 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2020
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