Glove Selection 101

Year after year, hand injuries are some of the most common workplace injuries across varying industries, making hand protection a big part of almost every safety program. However, increased need does not mean selecting hand PPE is always simple. On our website alone there are over 600 products available, organized into 11 different categories from disposable to chemical resistant gloves. So, with an overwhelming number of options, how do you select the correct glove or gloves for your unique needs? 

First, it is essential to understand what cut and puncture risks are present in your workplace. Do you need low cut resistance or the highest level of protection available? Are you operating with expectations from general contractors or other organizations requiring that a certain cut level will be met? Are there portions of your process that require some employees to have higher puncture resistance than others? These questions can be overwhelming and are just a starting point, but there are clear answers to be found to help focus your glove search. Our Cut Resistance and Global Glove’s Puncture Resistance guides are a great place to start, as well as a quick call or email to our team. 

Once you determine what your cut and puncture expectations are, the next considerations are for additional environmental needs. Temperature, chemical exposure, and forearm protection needs should all be considered. Glove coatings also come into play at this point, a decision to be made based on the materials being handled and wear and tear potential. Finally, we think about additional features such as touch screen compatibility for those needing to utilize technology on the job. 

While selecting hand protection is an essential decision to make for your crews, we understand it can be potentially overwhelming. Taking cut and puncture risks, environmental components, and technology needs into account, price point is another very important consideration when making this choice. Each workplace brings unique requirements specific to its tasks, and we are ready to assist you in finding the best fit for your needs. Just give us a call at 919-602-2503 or reach out via email to marketing@safetypackonline.com with any questions about this or other PPE choices.