There are specific Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) laws in place that makes protective equipment like gloves and sleeves mandatory for industrial workers. Indeed, without the use of these protective and secure gloves, it is quite possible that workmen may the victims of damages to, or even total loss of their hands through accidents caused by moving parts of machinery, chemical exposures, electrical shocks, fire and burns, hand injuries caused during welding and a host of hazards that make the protection of hands through industrial gloves mandatory and absolutely necessary to avoid damages or losses, either of temporary or permanent kind.
To a very large extent, the kind of industrial gloves that would be necessary depends largely on the kind of industrial activity that is being carried out. However, the main types of gloves are:
- Fire Resistant types
- Cotton gloves
- Inspection Gloves
- Latex gloves
- Knitted gloves
- Leather gloves
- Rubber gloves
- Any other synthetic materials that is warranted due to danger of industrial activity
It must be remembered that the hands of industrial workers, especially when handling dangerous and moving parts of machines or welding, are highly risky and accident prone, and thus need full gloved protection while handling. There have been cases and instances when the entire ungloved hand of the workman had been severed by moving machine parts, or welding burns causing third-degree burns perhaps beyond medical treatment, thus raising the bar for safety measures and regulatory regimes regarding the use of industrial gloves.
- The demands of the trade measure the quality, kind and toughness of the industrial gloves: Indeed choices of gloves are work based, the more hazardous the work, the more tougher, protective and robust the gloves need to be. Gloves made of asbestos (fireproof), leather or rubber (fire and acid proof) and latex gloves (liquids and water proof) are major kinds in demand, although certain activities specify the kind of gloves needed.
- Heavy work requires a tough pair of gloves: Protection against rough and unidentified objects, fire sparks, heat, fire and dust particles, need leather gloves that are all resistant and also durable and non-abrasive. Rubber gloves offer protection against chemical spills and oils too.
- Sometimes a combination of gloves may be needed: for some hazardous and tough jobs, where the palms also begin to sweat profusely, it becomes necessary to have inner coating of cotton gloves (mops up sweat and body fluids) with outer coating of leather or synthetic gloving. While dealing with electricity and electronic devices, it is best to use insulating rubber gloves which offer better protection against leakages and shocks. In nuclear plants, specially designed gloves are required.
- Workmen must be trained and educated on the safe and efficient use of gloves: During times of emergencies, it is important that workmen make good use of putting on and removing gloves and other hand safety devices and they need to be trained and modulated on the techniques of hand protection and other issues.
In the context of industrial protection and safety, hand protection devices are indeed very critical and important, making the difference between safety and hazard, and thus gloves need to be a fully integrated port of workmen’s armory, both for defense and safe working. Historical records bear testimony on the number of accidents which could have been avoided if there had been sound and practiced safety measures and factory managers need to learn from past mistakes and learn for the future betterment and Zero Accident Tolerance standards.
Author Bio: Christy Nelsen is a good researcher. And for the past several years, concentrated on academic assignments for students who require top-quality articles to accomplish their assignments and other projects. He helps students for write to learn many subjects. He enjoys writing about current trends and innovations in education, technology and traveling.