Trends in ... hand protection

What should employers and workers know when it comes to selecting and using hand protection? Safety+Health spoke with Kelly Graham, manager of innovation and optimization at Romeoville, IL-based Magid, as well as experts from Superior Glove in Acton, Ontario, to find out.

What do you wish employers and workers better understood about using hand protection products in the workplace?

Kelly Graham: It doesn’t have to be hard! New technologies and designs are making hand protection easier than ever for safety professionals. Gone are the compliance and supply headaches of uncomfortable gloves that make workers miserable, need to change gloves for every application or throw away worn-out gloves multiple times a day. New innovations have changed everything with adaptive technologies, more durable materials, and comfortable and cool materials that provide the highest cut and impact protections. Just because you’re getting by with a glove doesn’t mean there’s not something better that may even cost you less over time.

Superior Glove: Achieving high cut resistance in gloves no longer means accepting poor dexterity or sacrificing comfort. As a result of recent innovations in knit, we can achieve high cut protection with better range of motion and touch sensitivity without impacting comfort or dexterity. And all of this can be achieved without any extra costs.

What concerns or questions are customers coming to you with about using hand protection products? What advice do you provide?

Graham: Leaps in technology can take getting used to. We have customers whose workers worry they won’t be protected when they wear a glove that’s light, cool and flexible – and we absolutely understand! Think back to the days of bulky winter coats and compare them to the light materials that actually keep people warmer today. It took some time for people to get used to not needing that bulk, and the same may be true for some workers now as they try new glove materials and technologies that feel comfortable and provide even better protection.

Superior Glove: Safety managers and workers are taking hand and arm safety more seriously – to address these concerns is to have a robust hand safety program.

Compiled with the assistance of the International Safety Equipment Association

Coming next month:

• Material handling/warehouse safety