Glove Protection

What is Glove Protection?

A chemical plant operator in Baton Rouge was transferring a drum of sodium hydroxide solution when a small amount splashed onto his hands. He was wearing standard leather work gloves instead of the required chemical-resistant nitrile gloves because the chemical gloves "felt too bulky" for gripping the drum wrench. Within minutes, the caustic solution soaked through the leather, and he did not realize the severity until he removed the gloves 20 minutes later to find deep chemical burns across both palms and the backs of his fingers. The burns required skin grafts and left him unable to grip tools for four months.

Glove protection is the practice of selecting, inspecting, and wearing the correct type of hand protection to match the specific hazards present in each task. It requires understanding that no single glove protects against all hazards -- cut-resistant gloves do not stop chemicals, chemical gloves do not resist punctures, and the wrong glove can actually increase risk by creating a false sense of security.

Key Components

1. Hazard Assessment and Glove Selection

• Identify the primary hand hazard for each task -- cut, puncture, chemical, thermal, electrical, abrasion, or vibration -- before selecting the glove type, because the hazard dictates the material
• Match glove material to the specific chemical being handled by consulting the manufacturer's chemical resistance chart, since a glove that resists one solvent may dissolve in another
• Select gloves with the appropriate cut resistance level using the ANSI/ISEA 105 scale (A1 through A9), matching the rating to the sharpness and force of materials being handled
• Consider dexterity requirements alongside protection level, because an overly thick or rigid glove that workers refuse to wear or that causes them to fumble provides no actual protection

2. Proper Fit, Inspection, and Use

• Wear gloves that fit your hand size correctly -- gloves that are too large bunch and catch on equipment, while gloves that are too tight restrict movement, reduce grip, and tear prematurely
• Inspect gloves before every use by inflating them slightly and checking for pinholes, tears, thinning, discoloration, or stiffening that indicates the material has degraded
• Remove and replace gloves immediately when they become torn, punctured, saturated with chemicals, or contaminated with substances they were not designed to resist
• Never wear gloves near rotating equipment, drill presses, lathes, or other machinery where a glove can catch and pull your hand into the point of operation

3. Care, Storage, and Replacement

• Clean reusable gloves according to the manufacturer's instructions after each use, because contaminants left on glove surfaces can degrade the material and transfer to skin during the next use
• Store gloves flat or hanging in a clean, dry location away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and chemicals, since UV light and heat accelerate material breakdown in rubber and polymer gloves
• Establish clear replacement criteria based on hours of use, visible wear indicators, or chemical exposure limits rather than waiting until gloves fail during a task
• Maintain an adequate supply of each glove type and size in your work area so that workers are never forced to use the wrong glove because the correct one is out of stock

Building Your Safety Mindset

1. Match the Glove to the Hazard, Not the Habit

   • Before starting any task, consciously identify the hand hazard and select gloves specifically rated for that exposure rather than defaulting to whatever glove you always wear
   • Learn to read glove performance markings including cut ratings, chemical permeation data, and thermal resistance levels so you can verify you are wearing adequate protection
   • Question any task where you are handling chemicals, sharp materials, or hot surfaces with general-purpose gloves that have no specific rating for that hazard

2. Inspect Every Time You Put Them On

   • Develop the habit of visually scanning and flex-testing gloves during the act of putting them on, checking for holes, tears, and material changes before your hands are at risk
   • Pay special attention to the fingertips and the web areas between fingers, which are the first areas to wear through and the locations where cuts and punctures most commonly occur
   • Replace chemical-resistant gloves at the interval specified in the manufacturer's permeation data, not when they look worn, because chemical breakthrough is invisible

3. Speak Up About Glove Availability and Fit

   • Report when your required glove type or size is out of stock before you are forced to improvise with the wrong protection
   • Provide feedback to your safety team about glove comfort and dexterity issues, because a glove workers refuse to wear due to poor fit is a glove that provides zero protection
   • Mentor new workers on glove selection by explaining why different tasks require different gloves rather than just telling them to "put on gloves"

Discussion Points

1. What tasks in your work area are currently being performed with general-purpose gloves that should actually require a specific glove type rated for the hazard present?
2. How do you balance the need for hand protection with dexterity requirements in tasks where thick or rigid gloves make the work significantly harder to perform safely?
3. What would happen if someone on your crew developed a serious hand injury because the correct glove type was out of stock and they used an inadequate substitute -- who bears responsibility and what should the system look like to prevent it?

Action Steps

• Review the glove selection matrix for your work area and verify that the correct glove type is specified for each task involving cut, chemical, thermal, or puncture hazards
• Check current glove inventory levels for all required types and sizes and reorder any that are low to prevent workers from being forced into inadequate substitutes
• Inspect the condition of reusable gloves currently in service and remove from use any that show holes, thinning, stiffening, or chemical saturation
• Conduct a brief hands-on session with your crew to review proper glove selection for your three highest-risk hand tasks, including how to read glove performance ratings