It does not matter whether you are in the rail industry, facilities management, the construction sector, or you’re involved in any other type of manual task, there is no better way of getting the job done cost-effectively and safely than with a pair of effective work gloves. Safety gloves are especially important in any sort of profession that involves coming into contact with highly abrasive surfaces, extreme temperatures, and sharp equipment.

What are the benefits of safety gloves?

There are a number of different reasons why wearing safety gloves in the workplace is highly beneficial. This is a form of PPE that can help to protect you from a number of different accidents and injuries, which ultimately means that safety gloves could end up saving your life. Some of the different accidents and injuries that you may be protected from include cuts and burns, as well as preventing the absorption of hazardous substances. These gloves can also provide protection against temperature changes and chemical burns, as well as preventing loss of hands and fingers, and also needle and puncture injuries. A lot of people take for granted just how beneficial and important these gloves can be.

Choosing the right safety gloves

In order to make sure that you are provided with the ultimate protection from your safety gloves, you need to select the right gloves for the task at hand. Generally, gloves are categorised into gloves for low risk activities, medium risk, and high risk.

Low risk gloves

When it comes to low risk, this relates to gloves that are CE marked and have not required any sort of special protection

Medium risk gloves

For medium risk gloves, this relates to tasks that have a medium risk. Gloves need to have a pictogram that illustrates the protective function. They also need to be tested and approved by an independent testing institute, according to a number of standards, including EN 620.

High risk gloves

Finally, there are high risk gloves, which are for high risk tasks, for example, if you are handling chemicals, as well as electrical work, radiation, cold, and heat work. As is the case for medium risk gloves, they will need to be tested and approved by an independent testing institute. However, they must also undergo continual quality control. Aside from having a pictogram that illustrates the protective function, they also need to feature a four-digit code on the gloves, which will refer to the respective testing institute.

Aside from considering the risk, you also need to take into account comfort, the risk of cutting, the temperature effect, allergy risk, contact with chemicals, and the nature of the task. You can purchase gloves that have been designed for specific tasks, as well as more all-rounders.

As you can see, the importance of wearing work gloves cannot be ignored. Not only is this important to ensure the health and safety of your workforce, but Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a legal requirement today.