PPE - Gloves

The industry standard is the disposable latex type. These, while being freely available and inexpensive, do exhibit certain problems during use. They offer relatively poor chemical resistance, particularly to solvents, and are easily torn.

An increasing problem is allergic skin reactions due to sensitivities to proteins found in natural rubber latex, and the powdered variety causes the most concern as the powder can exacerbate the skin reaction. The related problem of hypersensitivity to latex should also be considered due to the possible seriousness of the reactions.

As a result of all of these factors Gurit recommend the use of disposable Nitrile gloves for most applications.

Glove selection should relate to the particular task or process but a good general use glove is one that is made from Nitrile. This material offers a good level of resistance to epoxies and amines and good tear resistance.

It should be emphasised that gloves are regarded as offering splash protection only and direct contact with chemicals is to be avoided. For use with solvents; a heavier duty type of glove is recommended to give additional protection but as solvents are usually quite aggressive to glove materials it is advisable to ascertain what type of glove is best suited to the particular solvent used.