What Glove Is Best for Your Application?
Gloves for Chemical Hazards
When assessing risk to hands from exposure to chemicals, all the chemicals being used should be examined, as seemingly harmless substances such as detergents and water may also cause skin damage. It is essential accurate information on the hazards a particular chemical or mixture of chemicals presents to the user is known. This can be found from the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which should be used to complete the COSHH risk assessment and decide on the best PPE to use.
Gloves providing chemical resistance are available in a wide variety of materials and thicknesses. Disposable laboratory type gloves may offer no, or only splash protection against a small range of specific chemical agents, and most chemicals will eventually permeate through a glove, leaving the hazardous substance trapped between the glove and the skin. The rate of permeation can vary from seconds to hours, dependant on the chemical hazard and the materials used in the glove manufacture. Anyone purchasing gloves for a laboratory situation should ensure that they are certified as having a protection rating of at least PT3 on European standard EN 374. This means that the gloves have been tested for permeation and degradation with a range of chemicals.
Natural rubber provides excellent resistance to aqueous chemicals such as acids and alkalis. Thicker latex products can also provide a measure of resistance to specific solvents. Different latex compounds will provide varying levels of protection irrespective of thickness. An advantage of latex is that it has a high level of comfort, elasticity and dexterity. Latex gloves present a risk of irritation, allergic reaction or sensitisation which, for susceptible individuals, can be significant. Latex gloves should only be used when no other glove is appropriate. A good alternative to latex are nitrile gloves which come in a variety of forms, which often offer better chemical resistantance and less allergy sentsitivity than latex. Generally it is good practice to buy powderless gloves to limit allergic reaction and contamination to work environment however, if you have to buy powdered latex, then buy gloves with low levels of extractable latex protein. There is no cure for sensitisation and allergic reactions vary in severity and in extreme cases it can induce anaphylactic shock, so always seek a health professional for advice and treatment if you have any doubts.
Gloves for Biological Hazards
Biological Hazards advice for Biosafety under GMP often state: Wearing of gloves gives additional protection if the microorganism being handled infects via the percutaneous route...it is recommended that two pairs of disposable gloves be worn when handling samples (minor damage to thin gloves often goes undetected until skin contamination is noticed). If during use the outer glove becomes punctured or grossly contaminated it should be removed and disposed of. If the inner glove is also damaged or contaminated it should also be disposed of and hands should be washed and clean gloves put on. On completion of work gloves should be removed and discarded, and hands should be washed. Disposable gloves should not be re-used as contamination is likely to be transferred when these are put back on.
Gloves that are manufactured from materials that afford protection from chemicals should also offer some protection from biological hazards. Those that have been performance tested against biological hazards will have the biohazard pictogram on the packaging along with the performance rating. However, where other hazards are present e.g., chemical, puncture etc., some gloves may not offer adequate, or any, protection against these hazards. Gloves can also be tested for cut/puncture resistance, and this will be depicted by a pictogram on the box. Disposable latex (natural rubber) or vinyl laboratory gloves are the usual glove of choice against biological hazards, these are primarily intended to minimise sample contamination but, if of good quality, will provide some degree of personal protection. As per the advice above for chemical hazards, allergic reaction and suitabilitiy to chemical resistance should also be taken into consideration.
Summary Glove Material Resistance Characteristics
Glove Material | Advantages and Disadvantages | Intended Use |
|---|---|---|
Latex (natural rubber) | Good for biological and water-based materials. Poor for organic solvents. Little chemical protection. Hard to detect puncture holes. Can cause or trigger latex allergies. | Incidental contact |
Nitrile | Excellent general use glove. Good for solvents, oils, greases, and some acids and bases. Clear indication of tears and breaks. Good alternative for those with latex allergies. | Incidental contact (disposable exam glove) Extended contact (thicker reusable glove) |
Butyl rubber | Good for ketones and esters. Poor for gasoline and aliphatic, aromatic, and halogenated hydrocarbons. | Extended contact |
Neoprene | Good for acids, bases, alcohols, fuels, peroxides, hydrocarbons, and phenols. Poor for halogenated and aromatic hydrocarbons. Good for most hazardous chemicals. | Extended contact |
Norfoil | Good for most hazardous chemicals. Poor fit. Note: Dexterity can be partially regained by using a heavier weight Nitrile glove over the Norfoil/Silver Shield glove. | Extended contact |
Viton | Good for chlorinated and aromatic solvents. Good resistance to cuts and abrasions. Poor for ketones. Expensive. | Extended contact |
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) | Good for acids, bases, oils, fats, peroxides, and amines. Good resistance to abrasions. Poor for most organic solvents. | Specific use |
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) | Good for aromatic and chlorinated solvents. Poor for water-based solutions. | Specific use |
Stainless steel | Cut-resistant gloves. Sleeves are also available to provide protection to wrists and forearms. Note: If potential for biological or chemical contamination, wear appropriate disposable gloves on top of your cut-resistant gloves and discard after use. | Specific use |
Cryogenic resistant material | For use with cryogenic materials. Designed to prevent frostbite. Note: Never dip gloves directly into liquid nitrogen. | Specific use |
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