USE AND SELECTION OF GLOVES AT ASTON UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION:
Two types of gloves are used:
 Disposable single use, splash resistant gloves.
 Re-usable, chemical/mechanical/temperature resistant gloves.
Single use, splash resistant gloves are used for two purposes:
 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect the hands against splashes/contact
from/with hazardous substances (chemical/biological).
 Single use gloves are worn so that the work being done is not contaminated by the
users skin (e.g. during an experiment or for food hygiene purposes).
However, this guidance is applicable because hazardous material is invariably
present and the gloves are therefore acting as PPE.
Re-usable gloves are used are used as PPE for several reasons:
 Protection against chemicals.
 Protection against mechanical injuries.
 Protection from thermal injury, hot and cold.
 Often they are used to protect against a combination of these hazards, including
biological.
Gloves should only be used after a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been
conducted.
RISK ASSESSMENT:
Gloves are a control measure of last resort and should be used in conjunction with other
control measures. This is because:
 Gloves only protect the worker.
 If used incorrectly, or badly maintained, the wearer may not be protected. When
gloves fail they fail to danger which exposes the user to the contaminant, often
without the user’s knowledge.
 Gloves can cause skin problems, particularly if ‘Good Hygiene’ is not followed.
 Wearing gloves is inconvenient and interferes with manual dexterity and sense of
touch.
As part of the risk assessment the type of glove to be used must be well defined and
instruction provided on how they should be used.
SELECTING THE RIGHT GLOVE FOR THE RISK:
There are four factors to consider when deciding which glove is suitable for your work
1. The nature of the hazard (chemical, infectious substance etc.)
2. The task
3. The user (size and fit etc.)
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4. The workplace conditions (ergonomics, temperature, wet or dry, etc.)
These factors should not be considered in isolation to one another as it is the combined
interaction that will influence choice.
Disposable vs re-usable gloves:
Disposable gloves are thin. This allows the user to retain good touch sensitivity and
dexterity. They are designed for single use only and should never be re-used.
For chemical resistance they are designed to protect against incidental rather than
intentional contact with chemicals and should be changed after any splash. Disposable
gloves are not suitable for handling some aggressive or highly hazardous chemicals. They
provide little useful protection against physical hazards as they easily tear or puncture if
snagged. Appendix 1 – How to put on/remove disposable gloves.
Re-usable gloves are thick. They offer greater protection than disposables against abrasion
and other physical hazards, are less likely to tear in use and will resist chemical attack for
longer. However, they interfere more with dexterity and touch sensitivity and can still be
damaged or penetrated by many chemicals. They need to be looked after to prolong their
usefulness. Re-usable gloves usually have a longer cuff length than a disposable glove made
with the same material, and so offer better protection against liquid slopping over the top
of the glove. Appendix 2 – How to put on/remove/store re-usable gloves.
Gloving Materials:
There are a number of gloving materials available. Each glove type has its own advantages
and disadvantages. Figure 1 lists the different gloving materials available for protection
against chemical & biological hazards. It is meant as a general guide only and does not
replace the need for a documented risk assessment for significant hazards.
Figure 1: Gloving Materials
GLOVE MATERIAL
Nitrile
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES








Neoprene




Excellent strength & puncture resistance.
Medium to high elasticity, conforms to users hand with use.
Highly resistant to punctures.
Tares and breaks clearly visible and quickly spreads.
Good for Biological work.
Good for solvents, oils, greases and some acids and bases.
Avoid intentional contact with Ketones, oxidizing acids and
organic compounds containing nitrogen.
Disposable nitrile gloves best choice for work with biological
materials and splash protection against chemicals.
Excellent strength.
High elasticity.
Good for acids, bases, alcohols, fuels, peroxides, hydrocarbons
and phenols.
Good for Biological work.
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

Poor for halogenated and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Disposable neoprene gloves are a good alternative to
Nitrile/Latex for biological work, due to high elasticity, but are
more expensive.


Can cause Latex allergy.
The use of disposable latex gloves is not normally permitted and
requires an authorised written risk assessment justifying use.
Excellent tensile strength.
Highly resistant to tears and punctures, however, hard to detect
puncture holes, in use failure rates reported at 0-9%.
Good for Biological work.
Good for inorganic chemicals.
Poor for inorganic solvents.
Avoid oils, grease and hydrocarbon derivatives.


Latex
Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC)










Butyl Rubber
Viton
Vinyl-Polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA)



Good for acids, bases, oils, fats, peroxides and amines.
Good resistance to abrasions.
Poor for most organic solvents.
Avoid intentional contact with ketones and aromatic solvents.
Disposable vinyl gloves are suitable for food hygiene applications
but not for prolonged work with biological material, failure rate
26-61%.
Can release phthalates on contact with some chemicals which
may damage DNA.

Only available as re-usable.
Good for ketones and esters.
Poor for gasoline and aliphatic, aromatic and halogenated
hydrocarbons.
Poor touch sensitivity.






Only available as re-usable.
Good for chlorinated and aromatic solvents.
Low surface tension repels most liquids.
Good resistance to cuts and abrasions.
Poor for Ketones.
Poor touch sensitivity.




Only available as re-usable.
Good for aromatic and chlorinated solvents.
Poor for water based solutions (dissolves in water).
Avoid contact with water or water-based solutions, water
soluble.
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PPE gloves for other purposes are discussed below.
GLOVE STANDARDS:
To conform to European legislation, all gloves supplied as personal protective equipment must
comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Directive [implemented into UK law by The Personal
Protective Equipment (EC Directive) Regulations 1992] and be CE marked.
Products such as gardening gloves, of “simple design”, protecting from minor risk of injury can be
self-certified by the manufacturer or importer. Gloves worn to protect the user from potentially life
threatening risks must be independently tested by an approved test house to an appropriate
European Standard. A summary of the main glove standards is given below:
EN 420
General requirements for all gloves (Sizing, product and packaging information and
marking, etc.)
EN 374-2
Resistance to penetration by micro-organisms
EN 374-3
Resistance to chemical hazards
EN 381
Chainsaw hazards
EN 388
Protect against mechanical hazards
EN 407
Protect against heat and fire
EN 421
Protect against ionising radiation
EN 511
Protect against low temperature
EN 659
Firefighters’ gloves
One of the important benefits of the standards is marking, which reduces the possibility of gloves
being used incorrectly.
Gloves in the “simple design” category (protecting against minor risk) will have packaging marked
with the words “For minimal risks only”. Other gloves will have more information on the packaging,
including:
The CE mark – showing it conforms to the appropriate standard, with the approved body:
 Identification number
 A pictogram indicating the gloves protective properties.
 A series of numbers accompanying the pictogram, indicating its performance in the various
tests applicable to that standard.
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GLOVE STANDARDS AND ASSOCIATED MARKINGS
STANDARD
EN 374 – 2
Micro-organisms
PICTOGRAM
DESCRIPTION
RATING
Resistance to penetration by micro-organisms
1-6
Resistance to chemical permeation
EN 374 – 3
Chemical Hazards
EN374 – 3
Waterproof
(this pictogram can be displayed only if a breakthrough
time of at least 30 minutes for 3 Chemicals out of 12 [see
table 1 below]. It is unlikely disposable gloves will meet
this criteria)
Waterproof & Low Chemical Protection
EN 511
Protection from Cold
«?»
(Do Not achieve a breakthrough time of at least 30
minutes for 3 Chemicals out of 12 [see table 1 below])
Obtain chemical
permeation
information from
manufacturer
a) Resistance to abrasion
b) Blade cut resistance
c) Tear resistance
d) Puncture resistance
0-4
0-5
0-4
0-4
Impact Cut
Pass/Fail
Static Electricity
Pass/Fail
a) Burning behaviour
b) Contact heat
c) Convective heat
d) Radiant heat
e) Small splashes of molten metal
f) Large splashes of molten metal
0-4
0-4
0-4
0-4
0-4
0-4
x = test NA
a) Resistance to convective cold
b) Resistance to contact cold
c) Permeability to water
0-4
0-4
0-1
EN 388
Mechanical Hazards
EN 407
Thermal Hazards
1-3
Note: For ratings, the higher the number the higher the level of performance
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Table 1
Code letter
Chemical
CAS N°
A
B
C
Methanol
Acetone
Acetonitrile
67-56-1
67-64-1
75-05-8
D
Dichloromethane
75-09-2
E
Carbon
disulphide
75-15-0
F
Toluene
108-88-3
G
Diethylamine
109-89-7
H
Tetrahydrofurane
109-99-9
I
Ethyl acetate
141-78-6
J
n-Heptane
142-85-5
K
L
Sodium
hydroxide 40%
Sulphuric acid
96%
Class of
compound
Primary alcohol
Ketone
Nitrile Compound
Chlorinated
paraffin
Sulphur
containing
organic
compound
Aromatic
hydrocarbon
Amine
Heterocyclic and
ether compound
Ester
Saturated
hydrocarbon
1310-73-2
Inorganic base
7664-93-9
Inorganic mineral
acid
Examples of Glove Information:
Example of Glove Information – Disposable.
These are Nitrile disposable gloves (Starlab – Starguard) used for general laboratory protection
against Microorganisms and splashes of chemicals. They are one use disposable PPE gloves.
EN 374 – 2
Micro-organisms
Resistance to penetration by micro-organisms
Level 2
EN374 – 3
Waterproof
Do Not achieve a breakthrough time of at least 30 minutes
for 3 Chemicals. Splash protection only.
Performance
Code Letter
Cas Number
Level
J
142-85-5
L
7664-93-9
K
1310-73-2
F
108-88-3
Note: For ratings, the higher the number the higher the level of performance
6
1
0
6
0
Example of Glove Information – Re-usable.
These are Astroflex gloves used for Autoclaving giving protection against Mechanical Hazards,
Heat, Chemicals and Microorganisms. They are a complex design PPE and are re-usable.
EN388
2241
EN 407
X2XXXX
EN 374 – 3
AKL
EN 374 – 2
a)
b)
c)
d)
Resistance to abrasion = 2
Blade cut resistance = 2
Tear resistance = 4
Puncture resistance = 1
a) Burning behaviour = X
b) Contact heat = 2
c) Convective heat = X
d) Radiant heat = X
e) Small splashes of molten metal = X
f) Large splashes of molten metal = X
Code Letter
Cas Number
A
K
L
67-56-1
1310-73-2
7664-93-9
Performance
Level
2
6
4
Resistance to penetration by micro-organisms
Note: For ratings, the higher the number the higher the level of performance
THE HAZARD
(i) Chemical Hazards
No single gloving material can offer complete protection from all substances/chemicals.
Each are liable to damage or failure by degradation or permeation (see Figure 3) by some
chemicals.
Figure 1 summarises the key characteristics the different types of gloving materials offer. In
most instances where you need protection against incidental contact, a nitrile glove will be
the best choice.
If the task involves inevitable contact or you are working with chemical classed as toxic,
harmful on skin contact or capable of absorption through the skin you should always consult
the material safety data sheets for the chemicals used, or a chemical resistance chart to
select the most suitable type of glove.
Assessing glove performance
Most glove manufacturers provide chemical resistance charts on their websites giving test
data on their gloves. They usually provide information on both degradation and permeation
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performance. They are specific for the brand of glove used in the test but can be used to
work out which glove material will provide the best resistance for the chemicals in use:
 Degradation is damage through changes in one or more physical properties of the
glove upon contact with a chemical. Signs of degradation are usually visible in the
form of swelling, loss of flexibility, tackiness etc. Resistance to degradation is usually
rated on a poor-excellent scale.
 Permeation is where a chemical can pass through an intact glove by diffusion,
without damaging the glove. Permeation performance is expressed as the
breakthrough time.
Breakthrough time– the measure of how quickly a chemical can permeate a glove– will be
specific for the particular model of glove used in the test. Thinner gloves made from the
same material will have a shorter break-through time.
For tasks with inevitable contact, the breakthrough time is the maximum time the glove may
be used for before it should be discarded. If the work lasts for longer than the breakthrough
time, gloves should be changed part-way through. You should allow a safety margin:
stretching of gloves during use may mean that breakthrough occurs quicker than in a test
environment. Do not rely on touch to detect breakthrough. Skin exposure will occur long
before any perceptible feeling of wetness on the inner surface of the glove.
If re-useable gloves are used for direct handling of chemicals that can permeate the glove,
they should always be thoroughly washed after use. They may also need to be discarded
before the total use-time exceeds the breakthrough time, as permeation through to the
inner surface can continue even after the glove is washed.
Breakthrough time will also be shorter if the chemicals handled are above ambient
temperature, or are used at higher concentration than usual.
Gloves for work with mixtures of chemicals
Each chemical needs to be looked at to determine which glove material should be used.
Where different chemicals have different recommended glove material the one that best
withstands the chemical with the fastest breakthrough time will usually be the best choice.
If one chemical is significantly more dangerous than others then this may dictate which
glove material to choose.
Chemicals hazards outside laboratories
Chemical hazards will be encountered in other work environments apart from research
laboratories. These include:
 Engineering
 Maintenance
 Catering
 Porters & Cleaners
 Gardening
Protective gloves should be chosen using the same principles as for laboratory work. Labels
and or Safety Data Sheets will list the hazardous chemicals present in the materials in use.
ii) Biological Hazards
Most work in bioscience and medical laboratories involves handling both chemical and
biological (infectious) hazards, usually within the same process or procedure. Generally,
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gloves manufactured for protection from chemicals provide adequate protection against
incidental contact with infectious substances including bacteria and viruses. The glove
selected must conform to EN 374: Protective gloves against chemicals and micro-organisms
and have good resistance to degradation from the chemicals involved in the procedure.
Glove failure during handling of cultures or clinical specimens could create infection risks.
iii) Mechanical Hazards
Protection against mechanical hazards– usually requires a fabric-based glove to provide the
necessary resistance to damage. The traditional material, leather, has largely been replaced
by cotton gloves coated with a polymer to provide waterproofing and chemical protection,
or gloves made from high performance synthetic yarns. All are considered re-useable gloves
The available range includes:
 Nitrile (on a fabric liner) provides excellent abrasion and puncture resistance whilst
retaining flexibility and comfort.
 Kevlar™ brand fibre (para aramid fibre) a specialist man-made yarn from which
gloves and sleeves are knitted. These have excellent tear, abrasion and cut
resistance.
 Latex (on a fabric liner) natural rubber is an extremely elastic and flexible material
with good physical properties. Depending on the formulation of a particular glove,
natural rubber can offer abrasion, tear and cut resistance.
 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (on a fabric liner) PVC can offer abrasion and puncture
resistance, if thick enough it can afford some cut protection. Generally tear
resistance is poor.
 Leather a natural material modified by tanning to give a range of properties. Leather
gloves come in a vast range of thickness and styles which vary widely in their
protective capabilities from specialised to very basic general purpose gloves.
For gloves tested against EN388 the numbers underneath the pictogram will indicate the
level of protection against abrasion, cut, tear and puncture.
iv) Thermal Hazards
Both heat and cold can damage skin. Liquid nitrogen and handling of samples taken from
-80oC freezers can cause severe cold burns. The appropriate glove choice the type and
length of exposure must be taken into account.
Gloves for protection against cold are tested against EN 511. Gloves for heat are tested
against EN407.
The available range includes:
• Aluminised Gloves help reflect heat and can be used in areas where radiant heat is the
main hazard and products reach extremely high temperatures. Materials that can be
aluminised include Kevlar™ brand fibre and leather.
• Leather generally provides good protection against cold, so long as the glove does not get
wet. Leather is also used in the composition of heat resistant gloves e.g. welding gloves as it
does not melt or burn unlike some synthetic materials.
• Kevlar™ brand fibre - This material was originally developed for the aerospace industry to
offer the heat resistance necessary for re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. Kevlar™ brand
fibre is also used in the manufacturing of gloves where temperature extremes are a
problem.
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• Cotton a natural material, cotton provides only moderate resistance to heat and cold. In
order to give adequate protection, the material has to be thick which may impede dexterity.
THE TASK
The material being handled will usually be the key factor determining the choice of glove
material. The actual task will determine the type of glove. Factors that should be looked at
are:
 Dexterity requirements.
The thicker the glove material the greater the resistance to chemicals or mechanical
damage, but thick gloves can impair grip and dexterity and so compromise safety.
Thinner gloves do not offer a high degree of protection against physical hazards. If
different components of the work have greatly differing requirements, you may
need to use more than one type of glove in the course of the work.
 Cuff length.
The cuff of a standard disposable gloves covers only a small area of the wrist. There
may be a gap between the sleeve of protective clothing and the top of a glove,
especially if the work involves stretching forwards. Extra-length gloves are essential
if you have to ensure protection of the lower arm e.g. during handling of highly
irritant chemicals, handling of some high grade pathogens or dealing with large
volumes of liquid which may slop over the top of the glove.
 Grip requirements and working conditions, e.g. wet or oily.
Most glove manufacturers offer a smooth or textured surface. A textured surface
provides a more secure grip. When working in wet or oily conditions this is
particularly important.
 Abrasion-, puncture-, snag-, tear-, and cut-resistance requirements.
Single use disposable gloves do not offer a high degree of protection against physical
hazards. Thicker re-usable gloves may be required. See section 8 for more guidance
on specific gloves to protect against mechanical hazards.
THE USER
i) Hand Size
Using the correct size glove is essential to avoid problems. A good fitting glove is essential to
ensure protection is maximised and manual dexterity is maintained.
Symbol
Size
XS
7”
S
7-8”
Size is hand circumference in inches measured
M
8-9”
around knuckles. Variation can occur dependent
on manufacturer and material.
L
9-10”
XL
10”
A Range of Sizes is usually required
ii) Latex Allergy
The use of natural rubber latex can cause severe health problems.
The main contact, within the University, is the use of disposable latex gloves, and the length
of time these gloves can be worn for.
Latex exposure can lead to a number of health problems, including:
10
 Irritation
 Type I Hypersensitivity
 Type IV Hypersensitivity
The use of disposable latex gloves (thin gloves used to protect against microbiological
hazards and splash resistant against Chemicals) must not be used unless the risk assessment
incorporating their use has been agreed by the Universities Biological Safety SubCommittee.
The main reason for this control is to ensure that disposable latex gloves are not used so
that sensitisation to natural rubber is reduced as much as possible.
Natural rubber is used in a lot of products including Re-usable gloves, its use would be
impossible to avoid.
Persons with a latex allergy should report this to their line manager, and a review of risk
assessments must be conducted to ensure that any possible contact is avoided.
iii) Cuts & abrasions
Any unhealed cuts and skin abrasions should be covered with a waterproof dressing before
donning gloves.
iv) Pre-existing skin problems
Some pre-existing skin conditions can effect selection or use of gloves. If someone has
eczema, they may need to use a cotton liner inside gloves to avoid irritation from sweat.
Liners should be washed regularly and rinsed well to remove soap residues before re-use. If
they interfere with touch sensitivity the tips can be cut off.
If skin problems occur during the use of gloves this must be reported to your line manager,
who will complete an incident report form, so that a follow up can occur. Records must be
maintained for any individual developing problems.
v) Good Hygiene
 Gloves should only be worn as indicated in the assessment.
 Once that section of work is finished, the gloves must be removed and the hands
washed – make sure the hands are dry. Appendix 3 NHS Hand Washing Technique.
 Gloves must not be worn outside of the work area, or for operating pieces of
equipment not connected with the assessment (e.g. Computers).
 Barrier Creams must never be used when wearing any type of glove (increases
absorbance/contact with allergens).
vi) Protection of Sensitised Individuals:
 Assessments must take into account the individuals that will work on a particular
project. Consideration must also be given to persons working in the vicinity but not
actually doing that method.
 Exclusion due to sensitisation is not normal practice. Alternatives can normally be
found.
 Powdered gloves must not be used.
 If an individual has Type I hypersensitivity to latex, latex must not be used in the
area.
 People who are sensitised should be encouraged to disclose this information.
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THE WORKPLACE
The environment where the work will be done should be considered. Factors that may
affect your choice of glove are:
 Temperature.
Temperature can affect comfort. Prolonged exposure to sweat inside a glove can
provoke rashes or dermatitis. Gloves may need to be changed frequently and hands
dried before donning a fresh pair or a cotton liner used inside the glove to absorb
the sweat.
 ‘Wet’ work.
A longer cuff may be necessary in wet conditions to reduce the risk of liquids getting
into the glove. Gloves will usually need to have a textured surface to help grip.
 Repetitive movements.
Tasks that involve repetitive movements e.g. pipetting require a glove with good
flexibility and elasticity. A good quality disposable nitrile should meet requirements.
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Appendix 1: Single
Use Disposable Gloves:
13
Appendix 2: Re-usable
Gloves
14
Appendix 3: Hand Hygiene
15