Why Quality Manufacturing Matters

Get a grip on safety with new single-use glove technologies.

Innovation is happening all around us. From the factory floor to the shop itself, we are seeing new technologies every day that are designed to make our work lives easier and safer.

Take single-use gloves, for example. Going well beyond mere barrier protection, today's innovative single-use gloves can be engineered with properties designed not only to aid in accident prevention, but to provide a better work experience, as well. How different can one single-use glove really be from another? Let's ask the same question of safety glasses. In certain instances, a standard pair may do the job, but now consider the actual job environment and task at hand: Will you be working outside, do you need small or larger frames, do you need anti-fog lenses, and should they be polarized?

Properties found in single-use gloves now offer similar answers to these complex types of job-related questions. And hand safety is no small aspect of personal protective equipment.

Well-documented labor statistics show that 60 percent of injuries on the job are related to the hands. They truly are our most versatile tool, but also the part of us most susceptible to injury. OSHA's hand protection (PPE) standard mandates that employers select, and require employees to use, appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to the following hazards:

skin absorption of harmful substances

severe cuts or lacerations

severe abrasions or punctures

chemical burns or thermal burns

harmful temperature extremes

Most people associate these protection criteria with heavier-duty gloves, such as leather, synthetic leather, knit, or cotton versions. So can innovations that better protect someone really be found is something as simple as a single-use glove? Turns out, there's a lot more that goes into this type of hand protection than most people realize.

Single-use glove technologies are being developed that provide specialized protection to workers across several industries. A "one size fits all" mentality just isn't the norm any more. Specific job tasks and hazards are being taken into consideration, and single-use glove manufacturers are adapting glove attributes to meet particular performance criteria and application safety requirements.

This article originally appeared in the November 2016 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.