Tag Archives: grip

Hand Protection

THE IMPORTANCE OF WEARING THE RIGHT WORK GLOVES (GUEST POST)

Most of us take our hands for granted, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that they’re fairly important and should be protected the best that we can! If you’re working in certain jobs, it’s vital that you wear the right work gloves to help prevent any injury or harm. Let’s take a look at why it’s so essential.

First, the danger of cutting in many roles is a very real one and must be avoided. Whether you’re using a small craft knife or a large saw, try to match the level of protection from your gloves with the level of danger that may be presented. Puncturing is a related worry, and specialized gloves exist if this is a worry in your particular line of work.

Another reason to wear the right gloves is vibration. Tools such as drills will often give off vibrations that can be potentially damaging, but lessened by wearing a pair of gloves. Cushioned gloves are a great option here as they provide insulation to lessen the shocks. If you’ve read about conditions such as Vibration White Finger, you’ll know just how harmful this can be and why it must be avoided.

Next up, hot and cold can have a serious impact on your hands. Lower temperatures can lead to frostbite in more extreme cases, and there’s the obvious danger of burning if you regularly handle items that are hot. A good pair of gloves will reduce the chance of either of these occurring, and will also enable you to carry out the job in comfort.

Finally, there’s the issue of grip. If you’re working with small and fragile items, gloves can lessen the likelihood of causing any damage to your material by ensuring a firm grip. In this case, gloves can increase levels of productivity and accuracy.

As you can see, choosing and wearing the right work gloves is vital for both your own safety and for ensuring that the task is carried out to your highest ability. Make sure that you do your research and buy the best pair of gloves for the job. There are several retailers that specialize in protective gloves for the workplace, so you’ll be able to find the right product to suit you needs. Your hands will thank you for it!

About the Author

This article was written on behalf of Protec Direct. Protec Direct are one of the largest suppliers of PPE & Workwear in the UK. Whatever industry our customers operate in, from heavy industrial to light catering, from professional construction to laboratory work, we are able to offer a comprehensive range of products to satisfy the most demanding performance criteria.

Note: We thank our guest contributors for this informative article about the importance of wearing work gloves.  Texas America Safety Company has been in the business of selling all types of personal protective equipment for over 25 years.  We have gloves that range from work gloves to medical grade gloves.  As stated above, it is surprising that injuries to our hands that can be avoided by wearing the right type of glove for every specialized type of work. pb

 

General Safety Issues, Hand Protection

PROTECT YOUR TEN BEST FRIENDS – YOUR FINGERS!

Our hands are very important parts of the success in performing our work correctly.  Regardless of the type of work – industrial, driving, or working in the healthcare field, our fingers essentially do the walking and talking for us many times.  Gloves play a very vital role in keeping our hands safe.  It would be hard to name the many types of gloves, but there is basically a glove for every task.  Cotton gloves work well for material handlers, chemical-resistant gloves protect those who work with chemicals, leather gloves for welders, metal-mesh gloves for meat cutters, and ballistic nylon gloves for chain-saw users.  Every occupation is considered in the design and manufacture of gloves.  All environments require certain gloves: for extreme cold in freezers or outdoors in winter, to extreme heat in welding, to lint-free, high technology areas, to radiation-protection in nuclear plants, wearing the correct type of gloves is very important.   In the United States, gloves that are used for food handling, food processing, and the medical industry are certified by the U.S. Drug Administration.  Many workplaces approve gloves by joint health and safety committees.  Some employers set their own standards to ensure their workers are adequately protected. 

There is a definite difference in the requirement of a good fit of work gloves between men and women.  Ill-fitting gloves are a great problem, because workers won’t use them if they feel awkward.  Some women have to make do with gloves that don’t fit – fingers too long or too wide, palm circumference too large, and gauntlet or wristlet too big.  One size does not fit all.  Texas America Safety Company has a choice of gloves for every hand – their manufacturers have ensured that the gloves they sell meet all needs – large enough for big hands, yet selections that fit the hands of smaller men, as well as all types of gloves for women.  Some of the gloves even come in pink, so guys, “hands off” her gloves! 

In choosing safety gloves, here are some things to look for:

  • Follow manufacturer’s instructions to get a proper fit.
  • Select all exposed skin that is covered by gloves.
  • Ensure the glove’s finger length and width, and palm circumference are correct.
  • Ensure that the glove offers a safe grip, to prevent tools or materials from sliding from your hands.
  • Gauntlets or wristlets should fit over the clothing and be stream-lined to the arms to prevent gloves from catching on machinery or debris from falling inside.
  • Be sure that the gloves allow skilled and easy use of the hands.
  • Gloves should not be clumsy or awkward to wear. 

Ill-fitting equipment can detract from a worker’s ability to do his/her job.  It could lead to:

  • Less efficient work;
  • Slower work;
  • Greater number of errors;
  • Difficulty in doing certain tasks – jobs that require detailed movements. 

There’s no reason to purchase gloves that are not going to fit your employees, because now you have choices for every size and need.  Take the time to inventory all your employees’ hand sizes and order enough to cover those “ten friends” the best way to ensure safety, and a good job performance.