Protective Safety Gloves: An Introduction to All Types

Safety gloves are a very important part of personal protective equipment (PPE), and they are required in most situations where PPE is required.

As the part with the most contact with tools and materials, the hand is more at risk than any other part of the body, even if it is quite agile. However, gloves are not a universal product like all other safety equipment. To stay safe, workers must have appropriate gloves for the jobs they will be performing and the specific hazards they may encounter.

There are many types of safety gloves. We classify gloves by material and function. The most complete introduction to all the types of safety gloves you may come into contact with, I hope to help you.

OSHA's Hand Protection Requirements

According to OSHA Standard 1910.38:

1910.138(a) Interpretation. General requirements. Employers should select and require employees to use appropriate hand use whenever their hands are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or tears, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful extreme temperatures defensive equipment.

In section 1910.138(b), select. Employers should select hand protection devices based on an evaluation of the hand protection performance characteristics related to the task to be performed, existing conditions, duration of use, and identified hazards and potential hazards.

Adequate hand protection must therefore be worn. Employers are obliged to provide employees with all personal protective equipment necessary for safe work. It is also necessary to stock up on the various gloves that employees need to protect their hands.

Glove types with different functions

General Work Gloves

Universal glove fit makes the glove comfortable and less bulky than other gloves. Rubber general purpose gloves keep hands dry and resist steam to protect workers from burns. General purpose gloves keep hands clean and prevent minor abrasions.

Cut Resistant Gloves

Cut-resistant gloves prevent tears and some puncture injuries from handling metal, glass, and other sharp objects. Knitted gloves are made of woven fabric and are therefore more breathable than leather gloves. Mechanical and fabricated gloves fit better than other glove styles. Leather gloves have lining or cut-resistant stitching for added cut resistance. The leather is naturally durable and protected against accidental exposure to heat and sparks. Chainmail gloves are made of metal mesh and are worn under disposable gloves to prevent extreme danger when using knives.

Read more: Cut-Resistant Gloves: Everything You Need to Know
Oil and Chemical Resistant Gloves

Absorption of chemicals through the skin can have serious immediate and long-term health consequences. If you consult a chemical product's Safety Data Sheet (SDS), you can determine the level of protection workers must wear when handling that product.

To avoid potential health issues, do not wear nitrile gloves when working with these potentially dangerous materials: Aromatic solvents. Ketones. Acetates.
Heat Resistant Gloves

They are usually made from heat-resistant and/or flame-retardant materials and are designed for heat resistance. They are suitable for welding operations, furnace and foundry work, and laboratories using high temperature ovens.

Typically aluminized gloves, they are designed for heat protection, and their insulating and reflective properties can provide thermal protection up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Water Proof Gloves

The most basic type of glove waterproofing is to spray a silicone or PVC based treatment solution on the outer fabric of the work glove. After spraying with the solution, the gloves will have a waterproof protective barrier.
Disposable gloves

Disposable gloves are gloves that you use once and then throw away. There are many disposable gloves for medical use, which often help prevent the spread of germs and infections to you and others.

Nitrile gloves are one of the best materials for disposable gloves because they protect against most chemicals and infectious pathogens. Disposable nitrile gloves allow precise control with textured tips and can be used in medical situations, cleaning, salon work, food preparation and more.
Touch Screen Gloves

There are two types of technologies for touchscreen compatible gloves: resistive and capacitive. Resistive technology uses pressure to detect touch commands. Usually, the screen of a smart device has two layers: the first layer is a base layer made of glass or plexiglass, and the second layer is a transparent conductive layer.
Jogging & Bicycling

When riding in warm, wet conditions, your hands will sweat and slide around the handlebars easily. Cycling gloves help absorb sweat and keep your hands dry so you always have a secure, grip on the handlebars.
Shock and Vibration Gloves

While vibrations may seem harmless, prolonged exposure to them can be. Safety professionals are increasingly aware of Hand Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and the need to protect workers from its hazards.

Personal protective equipment is one form of this protection. A glove that absorbs shock and reduces the risk of vibrations affecting the hands.

Manufacturing workers may use the grinder frequently throughout their shift, so shock-resistant gloves are useful. They are also common in the construction and automotive industries, where jackhammers and other air tools can be used continuously.

Glove types in different materials

Fabric or cotton gloves

These gloves act as a thin breathable layer between workers' skin and the tools and materials they are handling. Fabric gloves provide minimal protection against puncture hazards, sharp objects, open flames and hot surfaces. However, they help keep hands clean, as well as prevent minor bruises and abrasions.

To provide extra warmth, fabric gloves are sometimes worn inside larger safety gloves.
Coated Fabric Gloves

General purpose gloves with enhanced puncture and cut resistance, protection against alkalinity of concrete products, and enhanced chemical resistance compared to standard fabric gloves.

There are many materials that can be used to coat surfaces, such as latex, nitrile, polyurethane and PVC. You can determine which coating to use for a given job by conducting a risk assessment.

Although this type of glove is widely used, some coatings are known to become less flexible in cooler temperatures. Also, they provide less insulation than uncoated gloves.

Additionally, while coated fabric gloves can provide some chemical resistance, they cannot replace dedicated chemical gloves when needed.
Latex and Nitrile Gloves

Latex and nitrile gloves are widely used in laboratory and healthcare settings to prevent:
- Biohazard
- Oil
- Solvent
- Grease
- Chemicals
A well-fitting glove (when worn the correct size) increases dexterity in handling small items and jobs that require precision. Conversely, latex and nitrile gloves do not provide adequate protection against punctures or sharp, abrasive surfaces.
Leather gloves

Leather gloves provide excellent grip, spark resistance and protection against sharp or abrasive surfaces. In addition, they protect the wearer from moderate heat, such as welding and friction from ropes that slide over the hand.

The material is very durable under the right conditions, but can harden or shrink when exposed to excessive heat. They also dry out hands when they are not worn with the padding.
Aluminized Gloves

Heat resistant gloves are made of aluminium. They are suitable for welding operations, furnace and foundry work, and laboratories using high temperature furnaces. Due to their insulating and reflective properties, they can provide thermal protection up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kevlar gloves

Kevlar is a heat-resistant para-aramid synthetic fiber with a molecular structure of many interchain bonds that gives it strength. Due to its excellent cut and abrasion resistance, this material has made a major impact on industrial hand protection. It allows the manufacture of lightweight and durable gloves with excellent hand protection.

In addition to cut-resistant liners, Kevlar is used in a variety of glove styles.

Criteria for choosing safety gloves

Master the risk

Chemicals

Chemical hazards come in many forms, making the right PPE critical. Whether your hands are splashed or immersed, length of exposure, or chemicals in liquid, gas, powder or vapor form, find the safest gloves.

Temperature

Extreme temperatures from the environment or from what workers are touching can cause serious injury, so look for gloves that can help withstand these conditions as comfortably as possible.

Cuts, punctures and abrasions

Cut-resistant gloves are designed to prevent blade cuts. When choosing gloves for workers, consider whether they need protection against abrasion (rough surface) and punctures (serrated edges or needle sticks).

Protection or dexterity?

Gloves with thinner gauge materials offer more dexterity, but thicker gauge gloves offer better hand protection. When choosing gloves, consider what you will do with your hands and the various hazards you face.

Nursing Requirements

If your work has a lot of contamination, use disposable gloves (or reusable if needed), dispose of them properly, and wash your hands after removing them. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for washing and caring for reusable gloves, monitor them for signs of wear, and replace them if they appear worn.

Convenience to work

Fit and Size

Gloves that are too small can tear and can interfere with your work, while gloves that are too large can interfere with dexterity

Flexible to wear

While perfecting the protection of your hands, take into account your flexibility and freedom of operation. Sometimes this trade-off between protection and flexibility is unavoidable.

Choose Professional Safety Gloves Manufacturers and Suppliers

As a leading manufacturer of Safety Gloves in China, we can help you provide more affordable PPE. Our reliable quality can help you expand your business or win project bids.

We meet our customers’ diverse requirement and supply them the high quality safety gloves. The reliable gloves quality and the competitive price always help our customers enlarge their business and win more and more market.

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