Sunday, April 20, 2014

Choosing The Right Work Gloves

By Essie Osborn


Mobile workforces such as construction use different material in hand protection than what gardening hand protection uses. Hand protection can prevent various types of injuries that can render a person disabled for life. Work gloves are so common that people forget that there are different types of protection for specific hazards.

You should choose the right materials based on the task at hand. Using the right materials ensures that you complete your work in a safe and efficient manner. There are various materials which you can use to ensure that your work is done easily and safely.

For instance, leather gloves are good for strong protection. Canvas or comfortable knit gloves are best used in gardening chores. Nitrile or latex gloves, what most people consider rubber gloves, are used for messy and wet jobs. Whatever type of glove a person needs, they are built to last and are a great investment for an extra layer of protection.

Think about the job you are doing if you are not sure what type of material you need. For instance, if you clean gutters, which is a job that is messy and can cause cuts, you should look for protection that protects you from sharp objects such as twigs and aluminum edges. Cowhide material is best used for gutter cleaning jobs. The tough leather has moderate insulation for an extra layer of protection.

Split cowhide-based materials tend to stiffen after use in wet conditions; that is normal. They will soften up after you wear them again. If you wash windows, you might want to wear protection, especially if it is part of your job description. For window washing and the like, you should get nitrile or latex-based protection. They give you a firm grip, may be disposable and cheap, and they can protect your hands from prolonged exposure to water.

Outdoor hand protection is usually of the knit cotton variety or polyester canvas. They are good for added protection against nails while allowing a good deal of flexibility. Heavy-duty canvas usually has leather palms to protect the hands, and some of them have dots that provided added grip-ability. They are comfortable and durable.

When it comes to noxious weeds, nettles, poison oak, or poison ivy, it is best to wear disposable nitrile or latex. When handling noxious weeds, ivy, or oak, the noxious material usually stays on the material, so it is best to used disposable protection. If one is pruning thorny citrus trees, clipping pyracanthas, or grubbing blackberries, it is best to used cowhide material for protection.

When you choose your material, you should think about the following steps. Ask yourself why you need a specific material; product your items from your hands or protect your hands from the items. Ask yourself what types of hazards your hands will be exposed to; bacteria, chemicals, viruses, electrical exposure, extreme temperatures, or abrasive surfaces. If you determine these exposures accurately, you can choose the right material for the task at hand.

Now that the basics of choosing the right materials have been covered, it is essential to choose the appropriate material for the job. Safety comes first, so it is critical for the safety of the worker to choose accordingly, which will vary with the task at hand. Some will not work well with certain jobs and would be insufficient.




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