Speaking of Safety
Improper sizing, storage, and training significantly undermine the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE). Many assume PPE failures stem from the equipment itself, but issues like incorrect fit, poor storage conditions, and inadequate training often lead to compromised safety. Addressing these factors is essential for ensuring optimal protection in the workplace.
In industrial safety, choosing the correct gloves is crucial to avoid hand injuries, which are common in the workplace. Selecting gloves according to specific hazards, utilizing different coating types, ensuring warmth without bulk, balancing impact protection, and opting for tech-ready designs can enhance safety and performance. Smart glove choices lead to safer hands.
Why are my hands always cold? Here’s a great guide to choosing the best winter work gloves. How many shifts have ended with your hands feeling cold, wet and numb because your winter work gloves couldn’t do what they’re literally made to do?
Many factors affect the performance of a thermal glove. We’ll take a look at common issues that alter performance and what to look for when buying thermal work gloves to keep your mitts warm and comfortable until it’s time to punch out.
Vibration exposure at work can lead to discomfort in the hands and arms due to vascular and nerve damage. Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) caused by exposure to vibration at work is preventable, but once the damage is done it is permanent. Vibration damage can manifest itself as Raynaud’s syndrome, paresthesias and carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpenters, masons and construction workers are the most exposed occupational groups. There, almost 70% have been exposed to vibrating, hand-held tools for at least a quarter of their working time.
Feelings in your hands that is! Growing up my mom always said, “Cold hands mean a warm heart.” While that may be true, in an industrial setting, cold hands can mean a dangerous situation. It’s that time of year in many parts of the country where the early mornings and evening temperatures are a foreshadowing of the winter weather that is coming at us sooner than many would like.
Cut resistant gloves (CRG) are an integral piece of personal protective equipment for many jobs. They are truly the last line of defense between an identified hazard and the end-user. Selecting the correct glove by matching it to the hazard and risk is a key responsibility for the safety practitioners and purchasing departments of any organization whose workers face cut hazards.