ABSTRACT
Gloves are used to protect one of our most valuable tools-our hands. Our hands can do marvelous things and perform many tasks. These tasks may require the use of gloves for protection against exposure to hazardous physical, chemical, and biological agents during the normal workday. Gloves act as a barrier between our skin and the hazard encountered. Skin is a natural barrier of living tissue sensitive to physical effects, chemical absorption, and biological penetration. Once this natural barrier is broken, our body is susceptible to harm and injury from any one of the three hazards. Gloves provide warmth from cold, insulation from heat, and resistance to sharp objects, chemicals, and biological organisms. They come in various colors, sizes, and shapes and are made of many different types of natural and synthetic materials. Despite the use and nonuse of gloves, hand injuries continue to be one of the most frequently reported occupational injuries. These injuries are preventable if the correct gloves are selected and used for protection against the hazard. Selection of gloves for occupational use is the job of the safety professional. Guides, rules, and regulations for glove use have only recently become available to the safety professional through the efforts of various standard-setting organizations that have developed performance standards for gloves. This chapter discusses some of the current glove standards in the United States.
