Finding the Best Work Gloves for Safety
Mar 24th 2023
How frequently have you assembled your tools, begun a project, and then recognized midway through that you neglected to don gloves to protect your hands? Or how many times have you mixed or poured chemicals without taking precautions to protect your epidermis from acidic or other possibly harmful substances?
Work gloves are frequently overlooked, particularly when things get busy on the job and require handling substances that are hot, cold, abrasive, sharp, or otherwise harmful to the skin.
It's crucial to have the best work gloves for the task and to have them available because many situations can result in hand and skin injuries. A variety of job situations and hazards can be accommodated by the broad selection of hand protection offered by WorkGlovesDepot. Unsure of the type of work gloves you require? In the sections below, we outline the choices, their advantages, and how to pick the best hand protection for any job.
Why hand safety is important
According to a survey, workers' hands are involved in almost one in seven nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses. Medical expenses and lost wages are just two effects of those accidents. Hand injuries can cause chronic pain, disability, and even the irreversible loss of employment.
Personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes hand protection, must be provided to employees by all employers in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules. To keep hands safe while performing any job, make sure you and your staff have the best work gloves.
The appropriate work gear for the job
Are you unsure of how to choose the finest hand protection? Because not all gloves provide the same degree of protection, flexibility, or comfort, choosing the appropriate substance and thickness is essential. To identify risks at the workplace, the first stage is to conduct a job hazard analysis.
Cut-resistant gloves - When using tools or other objects with sharp edges, cut-resistant gloves provide safety. Choose between work gloves made of high-strength yarns or metal mesh.
Cold-resistant gloves – Gloves that can withstand the cold safeguard you from the elements and cold storage. A multi-layer glove with an interior insulation layer and a durable exterior is what you want to find.
Heat-resistant gloves - Working near flames or hot objects increases your chance of workplace burns or injuries, so heat-resistant gloves are optimal. Select work gloves that can endure extreme temperatures.
Welding gloves - Welding gloves not only provide great heat resistance but also forearm protection.
Impact-resistant gloves - Impact-resistant and anti-vibration gloves prevent injuries and hand fatigue caused by high-impact work such as hammering and drilling.
Chemical-resistant gloves are made of multi-layer materials that are ideal for labs and healthcare environments. These work gloves guard against corrosive acids, esters, and ketones.
High-visibility gloves - Gloves with high visibility are essential for work sites with poor visibility, such as those in construction zones, in the dark, or during the winter. PPE with great visibility is available in yellow, green, and orange hues.
Electrical-rated gloves - Electrical-rated gloves offer voltage class grades for situations involving low- or high-voltage.
All-purpose work gloves - Work gloves that can be used for a variety of tasks prevent the skin from harm when handling abrasive materials or heavy objects.
Capabilities and limitations of gloves
Understanding standards and materials is essential for choosing the best work gloves that offer the appropriate level of protection for your team.
The glove ratings
You can find a variety of standards mentioned in the glove description by looking through the online work glove selection. A searchable database of guidelines and standards for the business is kept up by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Abrasion and cut resistance, as well as some chemical and flame resistance, are all features of gloves with an ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 rating, for instance. With a range of one to three for finger, knuckle, and overall glove protection, ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 describes impact resistance standards and degrees of resistance. Take note of all evaluations before selecting any gloves.
Know the materials
Your other specialty gloves probably need tougher materials rated for the task at hand, while your all-purpose work gloves might be made of thick cotton with vinyl fingertips. Expecting a single pair of gloves to deliver the performance and protection required for every task is unrealistic:
- With a pair of vivid orange or lime green work gloves, you can increase your protection from the weather while controlling traffic or construction equipment. These gloves also provide great visibility even in low light. Look for gloves with a high level of visibility and layers of thermal insulation made of acrylic that wick away moisture from the skin and offer extraordinary warmth.
- When conducting maintenance tasks that involve oil, wear gloves coated with foam nitro or PVC nitrile to protect your skin. A glove that is completely dipped offers greater protection than one that is only partially dipped.
- Cut-resistant gloves with good dexterity are recommended when opening crates or using utility knives to prevent hand injuries.
- Disposable gloves with a thinner, larger-gauge glove lining can shield your hands and skin while still allowing you to move around with dexterity in a medical environment. Or, use thicker, smaller-gauge material to transport heavy equipment or materials more readily. The material is thicker the lower the gauge.
Gloves that fit perfectly
Your team won't be adequately protected just because you make gloves accessible to them. Take into account the following best practices in the warehouse or at the work site:
Get the right size
To match the employees with the appropriate gloves for the task, you must first measure the workers' hands to determine the proper glove size. Gloves that do not fit properly can cause harm.
To determine the measurement of the gloves you need, wrap a cloth measuring tape around the dominant hand's widest portion.
Watch your inventory
Make sure you have a sufficient selection of work gloves on hand to prevent your team from switching sizes and running the risk of getting hurt. Make sure your supply of protective gloves is always in usable shape by regularly inspecting them and replacing pairs as necessary.
Make it a habit to protect your hands
Inform all staff members about appropriate use and fit by having a discussion with your team about the value of hand protection for a secure and effective work environment. Find out what your employees think of the mitts. An employee will be less likely to wear work mitts made of scratchy or uncomfortable material, for example.
WorkGlovesDepot has the work gloves to Keep all hands on deck and well-protected to keep your company operating. To learn more, please visit https://workglovesdepot.com/.