jeudi 7 août 2014

Why People Use Work Gloves

By Miranda Sweeney


The protective gear that people use in many different occupations is an essential part of their professional equipment. The human body is susceptible to harm from various sources, and in some jobs protective clothing is not merely an optional item. Modern industry is rife with hazards and potential injuries, so taking safety seriously is not negotiable. Choosing the right work gloves is part of that attitude.

Gloves have various professional applications. Often, they are worn to prevent injuries, such as contusions, lacerations or sprains. Prolonged use of even the most primitive implements, such as gardening or farm tools, can damage the skin or injure the muscles of the hand. Even those who claim that they do not need gloves because their hands are used to such work occasionally suffer a deep cut or twisted finger which could have been avoided by slipping on a pair of gloves before starting work.

Resistance to temperature is another application. Very high temperatures occur in many manufacturing and processing environments. Human hands have a feeble resistance to temperature, lasting no more than a few seconds and not even beyond a comparatively mild heat. Turning up the geyser too high is an example of that. Burn wounds are serious because they have the associated possibility of infection and they sometimes mean a long period without wages.

Low temperatures also require protective gear. The skin needs protection against the cold, but workers also need to have enough hand motion to do their jobs. Their gear should accommodate both these requirements. The cold is easily able to damage the skin, as shown by mountain hikers who reportedly discarded their gloves in trying to deal with an emergency and then had frostbite afterwards.

Another issue is exposure to hazardous chemicals. This may involve corrosive substances or those which are biologically dangerous, such as medical waste. This is extremely important because some of these chemicals are lethally toxic (such as methyl mercury) or contain fatal diseases.

Some substances are so corrosive that they destroy human tissue on contact. Acids are typical examples, but there are others, such as benzene. Caustic soda is another, and is so strong that only PVC material offers significant protection against it and only for a matter of hours. Deciding on the appropriate material to wear depends on the substance in question and the concentration in which it is present.

Modern medical practice involves research and invasive treatment procedures. Scientists and their assistants sometimes handle deadly samples or terminal patients, so the use of protective clothing is one measure that they can use to increase their confidence and associate with the patient in the professional manner that is appropriate to their occupation. One publicized risk in present times is infection by HIV through needle-stick injuries. It is also standard practice during surgery to eliminate contact with the internal fluids and tissue of the patient. Medical staff use nitrile gloves, or sometimes the latex option, which allows the practitioner more hand motion.

Many jobs would not be possible without the use of proper protective clothing. Hand injuries can cause permanent disability and loss of income. Taking a hands-on approach to safety is far better than having regrets about negligence afterwards.




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