October 2023
Top Trends in Hand Protection
Did you know that cave paintings dating from the Ice Age suggest that humans wore knitted mittens to protect their hands from the cold? The oldest known pair of gloves belong to an Egyptian king who wore them while holding the reins of a chariot. Fast forward to today, and gloves are still used as a primary means of hand protection, though the materials and styles have come a long way.
In 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Statistics reported 1,176,340 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work. About 8.7 percent of these injuries resulted in an injury to the hand area. 2,310 injuries to the hand resulted in cuts, lacerations, and punctures. Almost 94 percent of these injuries were lacerations!
Most accidents involving hands are classified under four main hazard categories: chemicals, abrasions, lacerations, and heat. There are gloves available that can protect workers from any of these individual hazards, but no one type of glove will protect against all workplace hazards. The variety of potential occupational hand injuries may make selecting the appropriate pair of gloves more difficult than choosing other personal protective equipment. Employers must protect their employees from workplace hazards that can cause injury to their hands and arms.
Conduct a survey to determine if any hazards are present that would require the use of gloves. When conducting a hazard assessment, evaluate whether the machine guards, other engineering controls, or good work procedures give workers enough protection. If not, you’ll need to provide hand protection.
Types of Gloves
Generally, there are four basic categories of gloves: durable work gloves, fabric gloves, chemical and liquid-resistant gloves, and insulating rubber gloves. Each purpose is to safeguard employees’ hands.
Durable work gloves are commonly made from leather, canvas, metal mesh, or synthetic fibers. These types of gloves primarily aim to protect against lacerations, burns, and sustained heat. They are not chemical-resistant or electrically insulating, and their heat-resistant properties are reduced if they become wet. Leather work gloves offer superior comfort, heat resistance, and protection from tears, cuts, and abrasions.
Today’s Top Glove Trends
1. Certified PPE – purchasing certified gloves that have been tested to meet regulatory and consensus safety standards is essential. Certified PPE has been tested to ensure that it protects workers as designed. Certified PPE is identified with an appropriate marking, logo, or safety standard. An approved laboratory performs tests and certifies that the PPE meets regulatory or consensus health and safety standards.
2. PPE Fit – OSHA proposes revising its Construction PPE standard to explicitly require that PPE fit properly. OSHA’s proposed rulemaking updates on properly fitting PPE focus on ensuring that construction industry employers ensure workers are not using ill-fitting PPE—like oversized gloves, which increase their exposure unnecessarily to workplace hazards, may not offer adequate protection, and may present hazards to other nearby workers.
3. Adaptive Grip Technology – A specialized dry, oily, or wet polyurethane coating can be applied to work gloves to increase dexterity, grip, versatility, and durability—increasing the shelf life of the glove by almost 50 percent.
4. Synthetic Materials – Synthetic fabrics can be engineered to the exact needs of the glove. Material can be designed and woven to increase protections such as cut resistance, moisture wicking, thermal insulation, and reduced permeability.
5. Cut Resistant – These gloves are not cut-proof, but are made and tested to resist a cut from a blade or sharp object. Per ANSI/ISEA 105, cut-resistant gloves are rated with a cut resistance level from A1 to A9. A higher cut rating means that the glove material resisted a higher level of cutting force during testing. Using cut-resistant gloves can reduce the severity of an injury.
Help From Manufacturers
The best solution is to rely on the glove manufacturer to educate you on the benefits and drawbacks of the hand protection you need to protect your employees effectively. This information can also be used to train employees on the proper use, fit, and maintenance of gloves.
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