Timotej Bedjanič
PURPLE, GRAY, GREEN … which ones are for me?
Our hands are wonderful tools; but due to their complex anatomy and daily exposure to dangers, they are very vulnerable. Protective gloves are thus one of the most critical elements of personal protective equipment. Each of us has already met them — or maybe we just think so?
Choosing suitable protective gloves is therefore a difficult and responsible task. It requires a good knowledge of work procedures and potential risks, knowledge of relevant regulations and standards and other technical specifications for such products, as well as consideration of all factors in which the gloves are used.
Not all gloves are protective and not all provide sufficient protection — and the user can get a false sense of security, especially when handling chemicals.
Choosing suitable protective gloves is therefore a difficult and responsible task. It requires a good knowledge of work procedures and potential risks, knowledge of relevant regulations and standards and other technical specifications for such products, as well as consideration of all factors in which the gloves are used.
The average person exposes his hands mainly to mechanical, thermal and chemical risks. Of these, the chemical risk is one that can operate quite subtly and cause problems to the wearer of unsuitable gloves only after a long period of exposure. Protective gloves for chemicals present a barrier that is not insurmountable — the glove can appear completely undamaged even though the chemical comes into contact with the skin. This process is called permeation and takes place at the molecular level, with no noticeable effects on the glove material or other visible defects.
The first and most important step is therefore to determine the material from which the protective gloves must be made (nitrile, latex, PVC, PVA, neoprene, butyl rubber, vinyl…), and on the other hand, to choose the appropriate thickness of the gloves. This depends on our work process and the chemical we come into contact with. When choosing the right gloves, the safety data sheet that comes with every dangerous substance (including aggressive cleaners) is helpful — it also lists the type and thickness of the recommended gloves. It is important that even in the home environment, when using aggressive cleaners, we pay attention to the safety data sheets of these products and to properly protect our hands, although (unfortunately) too often we think that ordinary rubber gloves from the nearest store are sufficient.
And one last thought — although we have gloves for fans of different clubs in our sales program (from purple to green), the color in this case should not be the one that affects our choice.
