Choose The Right Chemical-Resistant Gloves For Your Workers

In various work spaces, there is a multitude of chemicals that workers can be at risk with. While nitrile gloves can be used with the majority of jobs, unfortunately there isn’t a single glove that will cover all potential needs. Therefore, it is essential to know how to choose chemical-resistant gloves that will work with the chemicals in your work area and will provide suitable protection for your workforce. This includes food service gloves and medical gloves also.

The first step in selecting a glove is deciding what you’re trying to safeguard against.

· What chemical, or chemicals, are used in your place of work?

· Is it a component of a blend, a sole chemical used by itself, or single chemicals used in a sequence?

· What is the dilution of the chemical (i.e., how strong is it)? · How long is the employee exposed to the chemical? Is the contact irregular or continuous?

· Other key points that require consideration: How much of the employee’s arm above the glove will be uncovered? How rough is the treatment of the glove (for example, will the glove be used where the employee frequently grips coarse surfaces, damaging the glove?) Do you have staff that are allergic to latex?

Usually, this information is easily obtained by reading the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for the chemical, reading labels, and observing the labor process.

After you’ve determined what you’re protecting against, the next part is choosing the glove.

Because diverse manufacturers may use different processes and slightly different materials or material blends in producing their gloves, it is imperative to base your glove selection on the manufacturer’s recommendations and/or its chemical resistance guide.

1. First, you need to make a initial glove material selection. You can do this by checking to see if the MSDS makes a suggestion for the material type or by consulting a “generic” glove material chart. Often, you will find that many materials will do for the chemical of interest. You want to note each of the materials because if you cannot get a glove in a exact style you want in one material, you may be able to find it in another material that will provide similar chemical safeguards.

2. Once you’ve made a preliminary material choice, narrow down your manufacturer options using the physical aspects (style) of the glove you would like—sleeve length, without or without a grip pattern, etc.

3. After you’ve reduced your manufacturer choices, confer with the manufacturer’s guide for your exact chemical. The manufacturer’s data will generally offer you with three ratings regarding how well the glove performs with a particular chemical.

· Permeation rate measures how rapidly a chemical goes through a material at the molecular level. Think of it as a slow leak, similar to how gases escape through plastic soda bottles making soda on the grocery store shelf go flat. The thickness of a material can affect the permeation rate; the thicker the material, the slower the permeation rate. Permeation rates are presented differently by different manufacturers. However, usually, the larger the figure, the more swiftly the chemical goes through the material. If the amount of time it takes for the chemical to infuse the material is close to or less than the amount of time your employee will wear the glove, it is not a sound choice for your application.

· Degradation means the physical alterations to the material caused by the chemical, which can include swelling, stiffening, wrinkling, and changes in color. The slower degradation occurs in the use of a chemical, the more defensive the material is for that specific chemical. There are no standardized tests for degradation; each manufacturer usually has its own test. If gloves are only going to be worn for a few minutes and only once, it is doubtful that they will have adequate time to degrade. However, if gloves are going to be used repeatedly or constantly, degradation becomes an important factor in your glove selection.

· Breakthrough time is, in essence, how much time it takes for a chemical to start to soak through a material. The greater the breakthrough time, the more defensive the material is for that specific chemical. Breakthrough is calculated using a uniform test (ASTM F739). Like permeation, if the breakthrough time is close to or less than the amount of time the glove will be used, it is not a sound option for your needs.

One idea to keep in mind is that the data is based on untainted chemicals, not mixtures. When chemicals are blended, their physical properties and permeation rates may change. For this reason, you should make your choice on the chemical component with the shortest breakthrough time. If you are uncertain as to whether a glove will work for a exact chemical or mixture, contact the glove manufacturer.

If you are trying to discover a chemical resistant glove for multiple uses at your facility, it helps to make a chart of the chemicals for the different applications and glove manufacturer information in order to help make it simpler to conclude whether or not the glove will meet the needs of numerous applications.