Page 42 - OHS, June 2024

PPE: HAND PROTECTION
Gauging Hand Safety
What is glove gauge, and how does it affect hand safety and performance?
BY RAGHU CHAKKRAVARTHY AND IAN LANPHER
Glove gauge is a commonly used term to classify knit safety gloves. From cotton to nylon to aramids, string knit gloves typically range
from 7-gauge to 21-gauge and offer vary- ing degrees of hazard protection. But does gauge have any effect on glove performance? To answer this, we first need to understand what glove gauge means.
What is a Glove Gauge?
Put simply, glove gauge refers to the thick- ness of gloves. Gauge defines the number of stitches in each inch of knit material. As the number of stitches increases, so does the gauge. This means the yarn is thinner, al- lowing for a thinner glove. When there are fewer stiches per inch of yarn, the yarn is thicker and thus the glove is thicker. Some often assume that lower-gauge equals light- er,whilehigher-gaugeequalsheavier—but in fact, the opposite is true. Lower-gauge gloves are thicker and heavier, so they are more durable but less dexterous. In compar- ison, higher-gauge gloves are lighter, so they are less durable but offer more flexibility and dexterity. Now let’s get back to our original question, does gauge affect performance?
How Gauge Affects Glove Performance
No one gauge is better than the other. It all depends on the tasks and hazards for which they’re needed. However, it is important to know how glove gauge affects protection, dexterity, and durability to help choose the right protection for your team. Refer to the chart below for a quick reference of glove gauge versus glove performance:
Glove Gauge and Protection
Traditionally, workers relied on lower- gauge gloves for high-risk tasks involving cut and puncture hazard as they provided a thicker barrier. However, thicker gloves lack the dexterity and tactile feel to do pre- cision work, often leading workers to re- move their gloves and increase the risk of injuries. However, thanks to technological advancements in manufacturing yarn, we can now integrate high levels of mechanical protection like extreme cut resistance into thinner higher-gauge gloves.
Glove Gauge and Dexterity
Dexterity, also referred to as range of mo- tion, is the ease at which a task can be performed. Workers will often choose to remove safety gloves because they lack the required dexterity to work efficiently and comfortably, especially when it comes to precision work.
■ 18-gauge to 21-gauge (Higher-gauge gloves): More dexterous because they are thinner and lighter, so they offer more flex- ibility and a higher tactile feel. This makes them ideal for tasks that require fine motor skill and precision work.
■ 13-gauge to 15-gauge (Medium-gauge gloves): Sit in between in terms of their thickness. They offer some more cushioning than higher-gauge gloves but more dexterity than lower-gauge gloves. This allows a happy
balance between the benefits and tradeoffs ofhigher-andlower-gaugegloves.
■ 7-gauge to 10-gauge (Lower-gauge gloves): Less dexterous because they’re thicker, so they offer less flexibility and have a lower tactile feel. This makes them a bet- ter option for heavy material handling that requires more cushioning but less dexterity.
Glove Gauge and Durability
Glove durability is commonly referred to the glove’s longevity or wear-life. Generally, lower- gauge gloves are more durable because they are thicker and there is more material to wear out. This is why, lower-gauge gloves are often the preferred option for tasks that are rough or abrasive. Glove gauge is not the only fac- tor that impacts durability. Palm coatings can also significantly increase longevity of higher- gauge gloves that may be the deciding factor when working with tasks that also require more dexterity and precision work.
Raghuvaran (Raghu) Chakkravarthy is the Safety Director for Gilbane’s Federal Di- vision, serving clients and projects on mul- tiple continents throughout the world. Ian Lanpher is a hand safety expert and North American Construction Specialist for Supe- rior Glove, which designs and manufactures safety gloves, sleeves and complementary PPE. To learn more about selecting safety gloves, visit tinyurl.com/ye2a5uhr.
Chart courtesy of Superior Glove
40 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2024
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