Make Sure Gloves Fit The Hazard

How easily could you do your job if your hands were seriously injured — or worse, gone forever? Since very few of us work in a totally hands-free environment, the answer to this question ranges from very difficult to impossible.

There are numerous threats to hand safety. They include:

• Cuts or punctures
• Chemical hazards such as caustic material, solvents or cutting oils
• High-temperature burns

These are the most common kinds of protective gloves:

• Chemical Resistant: Depending on the substances they are designed to resist, these gloves may be hot-mill or aluminized for hot metal work, or made of butyl, latex, natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile-natural rubber, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), vinyl.     
• Cotton or Canvas: General work gloves for parts handling and routine maintenance, providing abrasion resistance.
• Leather: Mild heat resistance and good abrasion resistance.
• Metal Mesh or Cut-Resistant: Protect against cuts and abrasions. Used for glass handling, metal fabrication and food processing.