Guide to Comparing Safety Gloves

When something is described as “fitting like a glove,” that means that whatever it is, fits perfectly. However, even a glove doesn’t necessarily fit like a glove in certain circumstances. For example, wearing safety gloves won’t make much of a difference if they’re the wrong type of safety gloves for the situation. Although the majority of hand injuries that occur in the workplace happen because the worker wasn’t wearing safety gloves, the remainder of those injuries occurred because the gloves being worn weren’t adequate or were the wrong type for the hazard against which they were supposed to protect. When workers don’t wear the gloves that fit the exact situation they’re in, it can be just as bad as not wearing any gloves. That means it’s essential that workers not only remember to wear their safety gloves at the appropriate times, but they also need to be aware of which gloves fit the particular situation.

Although there are a wide variety of safety gloves out there that are all designed to protect workers’ hands from hazards, they’re not all created equal. For example, some gloves are designed specifically to protect workers’ hands from caustic substances such as acid, but they can’t protect workers from being cut by sharp objects. Other gloves may provide adequate protection from cuts and punctures, but they won’t protect workers’ hands from the extreme cold. Certain types of safety gloves are thin enough to allow for the manual dexterity workers need for detailed work, but don’t provide all of the protection they need in other situations. On the other hand, gloves that protect against certain types of injuries may be too thick to allow for the full range of movement, making them unsuitable for certain types of work. The key for workers and supervisors is to know which types of safety gloves work best in which types of situations and understand why. Not all gloves fit like gloves, especially when safety gloves don’t fit the hazard from which they’re meant to protect workers’ hands. Even if a worker is wearing safety gloves, wearing the wrong type of glove for the hazard still can result in serious injuries that can be disastrous for the worker and the employer. If you have questions about the types of safety gloves you need, consult the following chart. This information can help you choose the gloves that not only fit your hands but the situation, as well.

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This infographic and the information was provided by EnviroTech

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