As industrial safety remains a focal point, glove companies continue to improve and expand product lines for specialized hand protection.

Decades ago when industrial safety first became a focus of workers and employers, machinists and plant personnel began wearing protective gear to help prevent injuries and accidents from occurring on the job. Throughout the years, these safety products have become more specialized providing increased protection for those surrounded by and/or handling potentially dangerous equipment. Although every part of the body is essential to the whole and must be protected, certain areas require more attention due to their extreme importance and vulnerability. Hands are one of these higher-risk areas.
Stop for a minute and think about your hands. Throughout a day’s activities, how often do you consider the importance of your hands? Probably like many people with properly functioning hands, not very often. In the tasks of everyday life – driving the car, eating, picking up a child – we can get away with almost never thinking about our hands. Yet, on the job, surrounded by dangerous machinery and equipment, our hands are constantly at risk and demand safety consideration.

Extremely complex components of the body, hands are difficult to repair and hard to live without. In a highly technical plant, hands perform the essential jobs of operating machinery and equipment and, therefore, maintain the smooth, daily procedures of the plant. After an injury, a hand may not function as well, or may even be anatomically altered causing slight or severe handicap and potential loss of grip, dexterity, and motion. A valuable, well-trained employee can lose his/her ability to earn a living after even the smallest hand injury.
Hand protection has been a part of standard uniform policy in the manufacturing field for many years. However, long-gone are the big, bulky, one-size-fits-all, leather or cotton gloves that once dominated industry. Innovative materials and modern manufacturing have created a genre of specialized gloves that not only meet the needs of the individual, but the requirements of the specific job being performed as well.
New and better-quality materials have revolutionized the glove market, creating comfortable and effective hand safety equipment. Nomex®, a lightweight fiber developed by the scientists at DuPont, provides protection for hands against heat and flame in high-temperature environments and when working with high-temperature products. In contrast, Thinsulate™, a lightweight material by 3M, shields hands from extreme cold. Other materials such as Lycra or Spandex provide stretch giving hands mobility and comfort. Gloves also can be tailored to different hand sizes using such elastic fabrics and fibers. A specialized manmade leather called Clarino® is the latest addition to glove technology. Often located in the palm of the glove, Clarino® provides a breathable, solid grip on tools or machinery.

With such a variety of materials available to handle different extremes, glove companies went back to the drawing board to redesign industry-standard hand protection. In recent years, glove fingertips have been redesigned for increased sensitivity while still maintaining effective protection. Heavy duty, yet lightweight materials have allowed the fingertips to last longer without compromising dexterity. Major innovations such as Lycra panels between the fingers to allow increased comfort and mobility, and ultra-thin thermal plastic rubber pull-tab with hook and loop closure to provide adjustability have allowed industrial workers the flexibility to choose a proper glove for their specific jobs.

As glove companies listen to the needs of their consumers, gloves continue to evolve to better fit the requirements of today’s safety and usage standards. Even the small advancement of a concealed seam stitch on the interior of gloves to prevent snagging is something that was rarely utilized in glove construction a few years ago and is now the standard for any high-quality glove today. Some glove companies have gone as far as making their entire line of gloves machine washable to encourage longevity of the product as well as make the product an economical and usable choice. Glove companies, who truly recognize the varying needs of consumers, provide reference charts to compare and contrast the different gloves available in their line. A good example: Mechanix Wear provides a Mechanical Function Chart to compare the performance characteristics of individual Mechanix Glove models and their features. The chart includes ratings for dexterity, durability, sensitivity, and tactility. This allows consumers the ability to determine the right glove for their individual needs. Not all companies provide actual charts, however, many do outline the special characteristics/features of each glove that would be applicable to specific tasks.

Although accidents often occur due to carelessness, distraction, or disregard for safety procedures rather then lack of protective attire, management must still make certain that employees are outfitted for maximum success. As worker safety continues to be an increased concern in manufacturing and industrial jobs, plant managers must maintain awareness of the latest developments in protective clothing and equipment. Proper hand protection remains one of the most important elements in the formula for safety. Therefore, glove selection is crucial.
Since hands differ in size, strength, and ability, each worker may require a different glove design. Glove companies recognize these varying needs and offer wide selections within a standard price range. This gives plant managers the opportunity to let employees choose a glove that bests fits their particular hands and jobs. Employees can work better and more efficiently with less chance for mishap when provided with specialized hand protection. Overall, it makes economical sense to spend a few more dollars on a specialized glove then to spend thousands of dollars on a potential injury. Most of us never think about our hands throughout the day as we perform our usual tasks. When it comes to high-risk jobs using machinery or heavy equipment, it just makes sense to wear gloves that allow maximum performance while assuring utmost safety. By protecting hands properly, you can avoid accidents and potential loss of hand function. With all the other concerns on the job, do you really want to be thinking about the safety of your hands? Protect them properly, and you won’t have to.

Source: Mechanix Wear
www.mechanix.com