The workers in the mechanical & chemical industries, construction fields, etc., have to wear work gloves in their workplace. Many workers get injured while dealing with heavy metals or chemicals. Hence, it is essential to wear work gloves to save the workers’ hands from severe injury in case of any unfortunate accident.
The following criteria should be strictly followed when workers are planning to buy a glove for their safety. These criteria were arrived at by considering the various work environment of the workers. Every worker’s nature of the job may vary, and the selection of gloves should be made according to the varying factors.
Does the glove have adequate grip?
The preliminary thing that one needs to check while buying gloves for workers is grip. It will avoid the slip of gloves from workers’ hands, helping them perform their duties more efficiently. So, the grip of the gloves should be considered while making the purchase.
Is it cut resistant?
Cuts are the most common type of hand injury, so cut resistance is crucial. Newly developed materials are used to make cut-resistant materials. Kevlar, the material bulletproof vests are made of, can be spun into threads made into gloves that provide excellent cut protection. If the workers are wearing the correct glove and a piece of glass slides into their hand, they may not get cut, or even if they do get cut, the wound would be less severe comparatively.
Is the glove Puncture Resistant?
This resistance checking is for the workers who deal exclusively with very tiny materials like nails or larger objects like broken glass. They will have specific standards for each kind of work. Being puncture resistant is an essential feature when it comes to gloves in such cases.
Is it Heat Resistant?
Another essential factor that one has to ensure is whether the gloves are heat resistant. It is also considered to be a major necessity for the workers in the oil industry.
Does it have Vibration Resistance?
Again, an important factor to notice at the time of buying gloves is vibration resistance. If not, one may end up with hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), a serious disability.
Vibration resistant gloves are a basic requirement for workers who deal with the tools like a hammer. These gloves may have padding too. For smaller devices like a grinder, workers can go with a more formfitting glove and thinner glove. On the other hand, a glove with a lot of padding can cause forearm strain, and it may also lead to HAVS. It is preferable to wear full finger gloves than half finger since the effects are mostly found with the workers of half finger gloves.
Does it have proper Impact Resistance?
Gloves for workers need padding on the top of the hand and fingers to have the best impact resistance. It is also a necessity for people in sports like dirt-biking to wear it for a better grip.
Nowadays, some industries require their workers to hold/lift heavy loads. Hence, impact resistance is needed to reduce the chances of back-of-hand fractures.
These are some of the questions that one should ask before buying work gloves. Workers will feel much safer if they are secure in their work gear. A worker who feels safe will also perform with more efficiency and will provide excellent results.