Disposable Gloves

There are two main types of disposable gloves: those for general use and medical/examination-grade gloves. Both are meant to be used once and then discarded.

All-purpose gloves are used in applications such as:

•  Food handling
• Janitorial/cleaning
• Esthetic services
• Automotive and other workshop settings

Medical/examination-grade gloves are used in applications such as:

• Examinations
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Other healthcare applications

Medical/examination-grade gloves are regulated by health authorities and must follow specific guidelines.

Reusable Gloves

Reusable gloves, often known as industrial or heavy-duty gloves, provide greater protection and are less prone to rips and tears compared to disposable gloves. They also offer better resistance to toxins, chemicals and other dangerous materials. Reusable gloves must be washed and dried after each use to maintain their functionality. Proper care is especially crucial if the gloves are used with chemicals, to avoid cross-contamination and damage. Before each use, you should inspect reusable gloves for discoloration or any signs of deterioration. If there is any evidence of damage or contamination in the glove’s interior, they should be discarded.

Specifications for Gloves

Thickness: Glove thickness is measured in mils, or one-thousandth of an inch (0.001 inches). Gloves typically range in thickness from 2 to 15 mils. In general, the thicker the glove, the more protection it offers. However, greater thickness reduces touch sensitivity and may make working more difficult. Reusable gloves are thicker and more protective than disposable gloves.

Tensile Strength: The amount of force or pull required to break the glove is known as tensile strength and is measured in millipascals (mPa). Gloves that have a lower mPa rating are more likely to tear easily. The tensile strength of medical gloves must be at least 11 mPa.

Elongation: Elongation is a measurement of how far the glove can be stretched until tearing or breaking. Medical gloves must have a minimum elongation of 300 percent.

Length: Glove length is measured from the tip of the index finger to the wrist opening. When employees conduct high-risk activities, such as dipping their hands in solutions, longer gloves are required to ensure protection.

Powder and Powder-Free Gloves: Disposable gloves are available as either powdered or powder-free. Powdered gloves were initially more popular because they were easier to put on and had a higher tear resistance than powder-free gloves. However, they are messier and have been shown to spread infection. As a result, the FDA has restricted powdered gloves for medical use in the United States since 2017.

Other countries and industries have also reduced their use of powdered gloves, and powder-free gloves are becoming more popular. Powder-free gloves are finished either using chlorination or a polymer coating. Chlorinated gloves are soaked in a chlorine gas or hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid solution and then rinsed clean. Chlorinated gloves are less difficult to put on than polymer-coated gloves.

Shelf life: The shelf life of each glove varies based on what it’s made of, but it is ultimately determined by how and where the glove is stored. The easiest way to guarantee that your disposable gloves last as long as possible is to keep them at room temperature and protect them from direct sunlight. Gloves stored incorrectly or used after their expiration date will have lower performance, including a higher risk of tearing.

Length of Exposure: Gloves can provide excellent protection against chemicals depending on the glove material and type and length of contact. Chemical contact can be classified as either incidental or extended.

Reusable gloves are the safest glove option if you or your employees regularly work with highly polluted and dangerous materials or high temperatures, or if you often submerge your hands in chemical solutions. Reusable gloves are thicker and give more protection in circumstances of prolonged exposure. Always consult the glove maker to determine which substances the gloves are resistant to.

Incidental contact: Incidental contact occurs when gloves are unexpectedly exposed to overspray, spills or splashes. If you suspect you might come into contact with chemicals or hazardous substances by accident, use a disposable glove with some chemical resistance, and then dispose of it as soon as possible after contact.

Final Thoughts: It’s worth noting that WHIMS/OSHA mandates that gloves properly fit all personnel, which means you’ll have to buy a variety of sizes, from extra-small to extra-large. As well, gloves are packaged in boxes of as few as 100 to boxes of 300 or more.

Appropriate gloves are necessary to protect against sharp objects, punctures, bodily fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals. Each set of gloves has advantages and disadvantages and it’s crucial to choose the correct one for your industry or application.

Improve the safety, longevity and effectiveness of your gloves by following these essential tips.

Always check your gloves before putting them on.
The first thing you should do before putting on your medical gloves is to check them for holes, as explained in the Pro Trainings video below. Once your gloves are on, squeeze the open end of the glove closed to trap air and press upwards, watching for any signs of air escaping.

Clean your hands before putting on your gloves and after taking them off.
If you don’t wash your hands before putting on your gloves, you will transfer germs onto and inside them. Similarly, wash your hands after removing your gloves to ensure your hands are free of germs.

Don’t touch surfaces with gloved hands.
Cross-contamination occurs when germs are transferred from one surface to another by accident. To avoid cross-contamination, try to avoid touching surfaces with gloved hands, and do not touch with your bare hands any surfaces you have touched while wearing gloves.

Don’t touch your face while wearing your gloves.
This is a natural extension of the previous tip, but it is mentioned separately to emphasize the importance of never touching your face. Medical gloves are not anti-microbial and can transfer harmful pathogens if you touch your face while wearing them.

Discard medical gloves after using them in designated bins.
To prevent others from coming into contact with the substances on used gloves, always dispose of them in an appropriate receptacle after removing them.

Nitrile and vinyl gloves are made without using natural rubber (latex), making them ideal for those with sensitivity to latex. Instead, both gloves are composed of synthetic materials, even though the manufacturing process is similar. Nitrile and vinyl gloves have largely replaced latex gloves in most applications, notably food service and medical environments.

The nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) used in nitrile gloves is a copolymer. Butadiene and acrylonitrile are the two components of NBR, which give these gloves their unique properties. Butadiene provides flexibility and tear resistance, while acrylonitrile improves chemical resistance. NBR is three times more puncture resistant than latex and has superior chemical resistance as well.

Vinyl gloves are made entirely of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), derived from petroleum. PVC is naturally rigid, so plasticizers are added to make it flexible and durable. PVC is a low-cost alternative to latex since it is easy to manufacture. As a result, it’s a popular choice for those who need to change gloves frequently.

There are several reasons why laboratory gloves should be used. laboratory gloves can offer you enough protection only when you follow the best practices.

When working in a laboratory, whether handling chemicals or microorganisms or performing experiments with instruments, it’s important to protect your hands by wearing gloves. These gloves provide protection in several important ways.

• Protecting the Skin

The chemicals, microorganisms and hazardous reagents found in a lab can be dangerous and can severely injure the skin on your hands. Using nitrile examination gloves protects your hands from chemicals, infectious materials or radioactive substances, and they can prevent you from becoming infected or contaminated.

• Avoiding Stains

When you handle containers of chemicals or toxins with your bare hands, you run the risk of spilling them on your hands, not only harming your skin but also leaving stains that could lead to burns or rashes. Wearing appropriate gloves help you avoid these dangers.

Using the Right Gloves

Choosing the right glove for the job is essential. Each type of glove is best for certain applications. For example:

• Nitrile gloves are ideal for handling chemicals and pathogenic materials.
• Gloves made of neoprene are good for working with oils and chemicals.
• Rubber gloves are recommended for mildly caustic compounds.

The thicker the glove, the more protection it provides. However, make sure your gloves aren’t too thick to prohibit you from handling things easily.

Additional DOs and DON’Ts

• Gloves should not be used when handling everyday items such as phones, pens or laptops. Wearing gloves in common areas such as workstations, lunchrooms or public venues is also not a good idea.
• Immediately wash your hands after removing gloves.
• Wearing gloves for more than two hours is not recommended.
• Disposable gloves should not be reused. Throw them away after each use.

Non-disposable gloves should be washed and dried on a regular basis. Replace them with new ones if there is any sign of wear and tear.

Handle with care

Chemotherapeutic agents are chemical compounds that are produced to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells in the body. They are either cytostatic or cytotoxic by definition, which means that personal protective gloves are crucial protecting your hands, providing a barrier between you and the chemicals that are naturally damaging to human cells.

Gloves designed to be used in these drug-making environments are evaluated for their protective qualities when in contact with chemical substances. The evaluation is done by conducting a chemical permeation test under the guidance of two US industry consensus standards:

• ASTM D6978: Assessment of Resistance of Medical Gloves to Permeation by Chemotherapy Drugs
• ASTM F739: Standard Test Method for Permeation of Liquids and Gases through Protective Clothing Materials under Conditions of Continuous Contact

While ASTM F739 is the general method used to conduct chemical permeation testing, ASTM D6978 includes additional requirements specific to chemotherapy drugs.

Contamination Control

The production of chemotherapy drugs must be conducted under good manufacturing practices (GMP) in a sterile cleanroom environment to minimize these contaminants.

A variety of sources of potential contamination must be taken into consideration, including biological contaminants, particulates and undesirable chemical residues. Products contaminated with any of these can lead to unacceptable product loss, and contamination scenarios can be costly and time-consuming to rectify.

While personal protection is the priority when selecting gloves, protecting the product from external sources of contamination is equally important. Gloves play an important role in preventing any contaminants that may be on your skin from affecting the drug.

The right glove for the right job

Any gloves you wear should fit properly and be comfortable, but as you can see, when choosing appropriate gloves for use in the production of chemotherapy agents, it’s essential to choose a product you can be confident will protect yourself and the life-saving chemicals you handle.