Be safe and healthy on the job at BCFA - British Contract Furnishing Association (Contract Furnishing and Design Association Ltd t/as) with these helpful tips provided by rhg Insurance Brokers.
rhg are the Preferred insurance broker to the BCFA and their 'furnisure' policy has been designed specifically for our industry in mind and provides additional cover and benefits not normally provided as standard by other insurers.
Since no one glove protects against hazards in every task you do, you must take several considerations into account before choosing the right glove for the job. In addition, you must balance the amount of protection needed with the glove’s characteristics to determine which pair will allow you to work both safely and efficiently.
Be Smart
Hand injuries sustained at work are very common, and often they occur because the worker fails to wear protective safety gloves. Do not make this mistake – protect your most valuable tool by choosing and wearing the right pair of safety gloves.
Considerations
1. Fit
Measure your hand circumference around the palm or at the base of the fingers. The number of centimetres will determine your size.
2. Dexterity
Disposable thin-gauge gloves made from natural rubber latex (NRL), nitrile, neoprene or PVC offer the most dexterity and sensitivity.
Thin, disposable gloves allow for work with small parts, food products and other delicate tasks, sacrificing durability, cut resistance and chemical protection.
3. Protection against Chemicals
Use disposable nitrile gloves when handling oils and grease. They also protect against dry chemicals and many other lab chemicals.
These types of gloves can be layered to provide added protection.
4. Toughness
Wear cotton or leather gloves, preferably with coating, when handling abrasive or heavy objects. Gloves coated with NRL, PVC, nitrile, neoprene and polyurethane outwear normal cotton and leather gloves by two to 10 times.
Gloves with coating offer the least amount of dexterity, so choose a pair with lighter weight coatings, palm-coating or flat-dipped gloves.
5. Cut Resistance
If you need to protect your hands against sharp objects, choose gloves with a higher level of cut resistance. Keep in mind, however, that no glove will protect you from a serrated or moving blade.
6. Handling Oily or Slippery Objects
Wear sponge or foam-coated gloves that allow you to have a solid grip on slippery objects. Oil is able to penetrate these types of gloves, making the objects easier to hold and reducing the risk that you will drop them and injure yourself or a co-worker.
7. Chemical Hazards
Wear gloves coated in NRL, nitrile, neoprene or PVC when handling fuels, grease and oils.
Wear butyl or laminate gloves when handling ketones.
Wear neoprene when handling acids and caustic materials.