If a workplace hazard assessment reveals that workers face potential injury to hands and arms that can’t be eliminated through engineering and work practice controls, employers must ensure that employees wear the appropriate protection. Potential hazards include chemical or thermal burns, electrical dangers, bruises, abrasions, cuts, punctures, fractures and amputations. Protective equipment includes gloves, finger guards and arm coverings. There are many types of gloves available today to protect against a wide variety of hazards. Assessing the nature of the hazard and the operation involved will provide direction toward selecting the right gloves. It is essential that workers use gloves specifically designed for the hazards and tasks found in their workplace because gloves designed for one function may not protect against a different function.

Factors that may influence the selection of protective gloves for a workplace include the type of chemicals being handled, the nature of contact (total immersion, splash, etc.), the duration of the contact, the area requiring protection (hand only, forearm, full arm length), grip requirements, thermal protection and abrasion resistance requirements.

• Leather gloves protect against sparks, moderate heat, blows, chips and rough objects.
• Aluminized gloves provide reflective and insulating protection against heat and require an insert made of synthetic materials to protect against heat and cold.
• Aramid fiber gloves protect against heat and cold, are cut- and abrasive-resistant and wear well.
• Synthetic gloves of various materials offer protection against heat and cold, are cut- and abrasive-resistant and may withstand some diluted acids. These materials do not stand up against alkalis and solvents.

Protective gloves should be inspected before each use to ensure that they are not torn, punctured or made ineffective in any way. A visual inspection will help detect cuts or tears and any gloves with impaired protective ability should be discarded and replaced.