What type of hand protection must be used?

Employers must base the selection of 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 under 1910.138. OSHA’s standard on hand protection does not adopt industry consensus standards, but it does not prohibit employers from consulting these standards. Employers may want to review two industry consensus standards on protective gloves:

• ANSI/ISEA 105, “Hand Protection Selection Criteria,” and
• ASTM F1790, “Standard Test Method for Measuring Cut Resistance of Materials Used In Protective Clothing.”

There are many types of gloves available today to protect against a wide variety of hazards for various work environments. This makes selecting the right pair of gloves challenging. It is essential that employees use gloves specifically designed for the hazards and tasks found in their workplace because gloves designed for one function may not protect against a different function even though they may appear to be an appropriate protective device.

The following are examples of some factors that may influence the selection of protective gloves for a workplace:

• Type of chemicals handled
• Nature of contact (e.g., total immersion, splash, etc.)
• Duration of contact
• Area requiring protection (i.e., hand only, forearm, arm)
• Grip requirements (e.g., dry, wet, oily)
• Thermal protection
• Size and comfort
• Abrasion/resistance requirements

In addition, gloves are made from a wide variety of materials and designed for many types of workplace hazards. In general, gloves fall into four groups:

• Gloves made of leather, canvas or metal mesh
• Fabric and coated fabric gloves
• Chemical- and liquid-resistant gloves
• Insulating rubber gloves

Each type of glove provides various properties and varying degrees of protection. When selecting gloves, employers should always check with the manufacturer or review the manufacturer’s product literature to determine a glove’s effectiveness against specific workplace conditions.