There have been a ton of advancements in hand protection over the years. Gloves have become more comfortable, more flexible and more durable than ever. So, why are hand injuries the 2nd leading cause of injuries at work? Why are 40% of the workforce either not wearing hand protection, or wearing the WRONG safety gloves?
We could back and forth, debating the reasons all day. But, what usually is the biggest reason that workers don’t wearing the right PPE is lack of knowledge. Not fully understanding the risks and what safety equipment can prevent it.
We’ve covered many different areas of hand protection — from cut risk to selecting the right type of safety glove.
Here’s the thing we need to remember about picking out gloves for a job: A lot of times we take the quick route and just grab something to cover our hands. Or, sometimes we just get so worried about staying compliant with 1910.138 that we forget a couple of things.
Important things like...will it even protect in the first place? Minimum regulations are not going to protect workers, unless they’re picking daisies.
So, we talked before about the new ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 and how it helps to increase protection by offering new classification levels (A1 – A9), measured in grams. When was the last time the average person measured anything in grams? Let’s cut to the chase. We need to get the right information out to people and we need to do it in a way that everyone understands (oh, by the way there are roughly 454 grams/pound).
Of course, this helps to cover any gaps that the old standard had, but what about other factors that affect safety? The testing method F2992-15 measures protection from a straight-edge blade, but what about puncture, abrasion or tears? Everything has some level of cut resistance; even human skin, but I wouldn’t put my money on just any glove to do its job.
Let’s take it a step further, not only should we use material weight (composite yarns, metal mesh, steel or blends) to make a decision about a glove — we have to consider coatings, different fibers, engineered yarns and ability to resist substances we work with every day. Phew that's a lot.
Make sure you factor these in when choosing a glove:
One of the most dangerous things you can do is to use PPE that doesn’t protect. It offers a false sense of security. Whether your hand protection is too bulky, too restrictive or they simply don’t offer the right hazard protection, you are putting your hands and your livelihood at risk.
Listen, the reality is you need your hands. If you find yourself taking your safety gloves off to do your job, you’re wearing the wrong damn glove. Someone is always coming out with the “next best thing” when it comes to hand protection.
Just make sure you are choosing the best one for your needs and match the glove to the job. And don’t end up in the hospital or morgue.
Safety: It’s Your Life, It’s Our Business