vendredi 25 juillet 2014

Why Work Gloves Are So Important

By Miranda Sweeney


Protective clothing is compulsory in many jobs in the economy. There are numerous hazards in different occupations, so for some people wearing such clothing is part of the job description. Human health is subject to many potential dangers in modern professional environments, which makes it necessary for people to stay sensible about their safety. That extends to the choice and use of protective work gloves.

Gloves are used to protect their wearer against several kinds of hazard. The most common one is physical injury through strain, friction or incision. Even the handles of basic tools like pliers or axes can lead to grazes and calluses, or muscular trouble. Some workers don't wear hand protection when using these tools, since their hands are accustomed to them. But even they sometimes cut themselves or lose fingers, injuries which would not have happened if they had invested more in their safety clothing.

Then there is temperature. Heat is a common factor in industrial applications and the human hand cannot withstand it for very long or beyond a relatively moderate temperature. Even a household geyser can generate water that is hot enough to cause pain within seconds. Burns are serious injuries because they take time to heal and they are at risk of infection.

At the other extreme, exceptionally low temperatures also necessitate protection. Sub zero environments require gloves that shield the hands but allow satisfactory movement at the same time. There have been reports of mountain climbers who took off their gloves in an emergency situation and then contracted frostbite.

Another issue is exposure to hazardous chemicals. This may involve corrosive substances or those which are biologically dangerous, such as medical waste. This is extremely important because some of these chemicals are lethally toxic (such as methyl mercury) or contain fatal diseases.

Some of the most dangerous industrial chemicals are those with corrosive properties. This usually refers to acids but there are other substances that are equally as volatile, such as the solvent benzene. A further example is caustic soda. Workers need PVC material to work with it, and the clothing does not last more than about half a day if the concentration of the soda is high enough.

In medicine, laboratory and other personnel sometimes have to transport or analyse samples of contagious germs. This can be stressful, given that some of these pathogens cause terminal illnesses, so protective gear is a source of reassurance and supports the professional disposition that medical workers are supposed to maintain at all times. For example, workers treating AIDS patients sometimes become infected by needle-stick accidents. Staff also avoid coming into contact with blood or other fluids during surgery. They may use nitrile gloves or the thinner latex option. The latter allows better manual dexterity during operations.

Some work would be physically impossible without using safety equipment. If a worker loses the use of their hand(s), even partially, they may become useless in their industry. Taking your income in your hands might be more expensive than taking ordinary safety measures.




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