• PPE for hands includes various types of gloves, finger guards, and arm coverings.
• The OSHA standard for hand protection applies to all General Industry employers whose employees are exposed to certain hazards in the workplace.
• Employers must provide hand protection at no cost to employees when employees are exposed to risk of cuts, burns, punctures, chemical exposure, or other hand injuries.

Employees’ hands can be exposed to many hazards, including skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires employers to protect employees from these hazards. In some cases, guards on a machine can provide the protection. However, in many cases, workers must wear hand protection, such as specialty gloves, finger guards and arm coverings, or elbow-length gloves.

Gloves are often relied on to prevent cuts, abrasions, burns, and skin contact with chemicals that could cause local or systemic effects following dermal exposure. There is no one glove that provides protection against all potential hand hazards, and commonly available glove materials provide only limited protection against many chemicals. Therefore, employers must select the most appropriate glove for a particular application, determine how long it can be worn, and whether it can be reused.

OSHA’s hand protection standards are detailed in 1910.138.

What are the PPE requirements for hand protection?

Employers should select appropriate hand protection on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task(s) to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards and potential hazards identified. To do this, employers should:

• Assess the workplace for work that exposes workers’ hands to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes.
• Select appropriate hand protection for the hazards found.
• Provide hand protection (except ordinary everyday gloves to protect from weather) to workers at no cost.
• Train workers on the proper use, care, and maintenance of the equipment.

Who must comply?

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)’s hand protection standard applies to all General Industry employers who have employees whose hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes.