Hand Protection

Are your workers wearing the right level of hand protection for the tasks they’re performing?

What should employers and workers know when it comes to selecting and using hand protection? Safety+Health spoke with Kelly Graham, manager of innovation and optimization at Romeoville, IL-based Magid, as well as experts from Superior Glove in Acton, Ontario, to find out.

Gloves: They’re not all the same. It’s something that experts from hand protection manufacturers wish workers and employers better understood.

The first lesson in buying gloves? “You get what you pay for,” answers Jeff Cohen, director of product management for hand and arm protection at Protective Industrial Products. “Not all gloves are created equal.

What’s the latest in hand protection? Here’s what some experts in the industry have to say about cut resistance, choosing the right protection for workers and more.

Cuts, chemical burns, broken fingers and amputations are some of the hand injuries that commonly occur on the job. In fact, 121,860 nonfatal hand injuries involving days away from work were recorded in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Work-related hand injuries are common: In 2014, 36,540 wrist injuries and 119,810 hand injuries requiring days away from work were recorded, according to the 2017 edition of “Injury Facts,” a National Safety Council chartbook.

Hand protection manufacturers are striving to produce thinner, lighter and more comfortable gloves to help ensure worker compliance. Here, industry insiders discuss updates to hand protection standards, the importance of comfort and why holding onto your favorite pair of work gloves might not be the best decision.

The 9030P PIRTEK Fluid Power Glove protects the wearer’s hand against the hazards of fluid injection from high-pressure systems.

In 2013, 121,500 hand injuries resulted in days away from work, according to the 2016 edition of “Injury Facts,” a National Safety Council chartbook. If that number gives you pause, read on as hand protection industry insiders offer advice on preventing hand injuries and describe what’s new regarding protection.