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PPE Appendix D

Hand and Arm Protection

Compliance with National Standards

There currently are no ANSI standards for glove selection; therefore, selection must be based on the performance characteristics of the glove in relation to the tasks to be performed. Suppliers and manufacturers may provide compliance guidelines or references for food and pharmaceutical applications.

General Requirements

Hand and arm protection must be selected and used when personnel may be exposed to certain hazards, such as:

  • Work with harmful substances, dry or liquid, that can be absorbed through the skin, or that can cause skin irritation, chemical burns, or similar conditions. Examples would include strong acids/bases, toxic or corrosive materials, organic solvents, and radioactive materials.
  • Work with tools, equipment, or materials that can cause cuts, lacerations, punctures, fractures, amputations, or abrasions.
  • Work where the employee is exposed to materials or agents that can cause thermal burns or that expose the employee to harmful temperatures (hot or cold).
  • Work that may expose employees to blood or other potentially infectious agents.
  • Work on live electrical systems or components. Additional training is required for the use of electrical protective equipment.

The best place to start when selecting gloves for a task is to compare the exposure hazards to the protective qualities of the gloves available from your supplier. Many tasks will involve multiple hazards, and the glove selected should either protect against all of the hazards, or more than one type of glove may have to be worn. A common example of this is when leather gloves (cut/puncture/abrasion resistant) are worn over voltage-rated rubber gloves. Certain chemical and/or radiation hazards may require double gloving (of the same type).

Types of Hand/Arm Protection

There are several categories of gloves.

  • Disposable gloves - Perfect for one-time use situations. Thin for improved sensitivity and dexterity. Provides wearer protection against materials, or protects the material from the handler. Available in a variety of materials and for a variety of tasks.
  • Critical-environment gloves - Used in applications that require extreme cleanliness, such as in the electronic, nuclear, and pharmaceutical industries.
  • Chemical-resistant gloves - Protects against specified chemicals and liquids, also protect against abrasion, cuts, punctures, and snags. Generally, any "chemical-resistant" glove can be used for dry powders. (See additional information provided later in this section.)
  • General-purpose gloves - Intended to help reduce hand injuries from snags, punctures, abrasions, and cuts.
  • Coated gloves - Nitrile and natural rubber coated gloves are often used as substitutes for leather gloves. They offer superior hand protection in wet environments where dexterity is important.
  • Cut-resistant gloves - Available in a wide variety of materials, including metal-mesh, Kevlar®, aluminized, etc. Protects against cuts and scrapes in the food industry, as well as general warehousing.
  • Puncture-resistant gloves - Available in a wide variety of materials. Puncture-resistant gloves protect against most sharp objects, including glass, metal, and needle sticks. No glove is completely puncture-proof, nor can gloves be expected to take the place of proper engineering or work practice controls.
  • Anti-vibration/impact gloves - Protection from vibration or impact from tools and equipment. Helps prevent hand, finger, and arm fatigue.
  • Leather gloves - Qualities of leather include comfort, durability, dexterity, mild heat resistance, and abrasion resistance. Good all-purpose glove.
  • Temperature-resistance gloves - Provides protection from high temperatures as well as cold. Leather, Kevlar®, cotton terrycloth, cryogenic gloves, rubber, Nomex®, Zetex®, and Flextra® are some common materials used in this type of glove. Includes welding gloves.
  • Voltage-rated gloves - Protection against shock hazards. To assure adequate electrical protection, choose the properly rated insulated gloves and protectors for your application. Additional training from Environmental Health & Safety is required.
    • Class 00 gloves are rated up to 500 vac and 750 vdc.
    • Class 0 gloves are rated up to 1,000 vac and 1,500 vdc.
    • Class 1 gloves are rated up to 7,500 vac and 11,250 vdc.
    • Class 2 gloves are rated up to 17,000 vac and 25,500 vdc.
    • Class 3 gloves are rated up to 26,500 vac and 39,750 vdc.

Selection

Before purchasing gloves, the PPE Coordinator should review the work activities to determine the degree of dexterity required, the duration, frequency, and degree of exposure to the hazard, and the physical stresses that will be applied. Hand protection must be selected based upon a review of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task(s) to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the existing and potential hazards identified.

There are several factors to consider when selecting a glove, such as size, the type of cuff, lining, and length.

Sizing

Gloves come in sizes ranging from small to XX-large. It is important to provide a selection of sizes to employees so that a proper fit is obtained. Gloves that are too small will cause fatigue and gloves that are too large may create dexterity issues, entanglement hazards, or may affect protective qualities.

Cuff Type

  • Pinked cuff - A zigzag finished appearance commonly found on knit-lined rubber gloves.
  • Rolled cuff - Gives additional cuff strength and a finished appearance. Acts as a barrier to keep chemicals from running off glove onto skin.
  • Straight cuff - Provides a snug fit to protect from chemical runoff and skin contact.
  • Gauntlet cuff - Extended length protects wrist area. Slides on and off easily. Allows for maximum movement of forearm.

Lining type

  • Unlined - Gives better sensitivity and dexterity than lined gloves. Required where particle contamination is a concern. Powdered unlined gloves make on/off easier and increase comfort, but may be an irritant to some individual users.
  • Flock-lined - Shredded fiber, usually cotton, applied to the inside surface of the glove material. Absorbs perspiration. Easy on/off.
  • Knit-lined - Cotton or synthetic material bonded to the inside surface of a glove. Absorbs perspiration, adds some temperature protection.
  • Jersey-lined - Softest, most comfortable lining. Gives additional temperature protection and greater cushioning effect.

Length

  • Finger cots - worn on the fingers alone when minimal or no protection is required.
  • 9 - 12 inches provides complete hand protection.
  • 12 - 18 inches provides hand, forearm to elbow protection for immersion or extra splash protection.
  • 24 - 31 inches provides full arm immersion protection.

Chemical Protection

For more information, click here.