Responding is Matt Block, director of health and safety services, Magid, Romeoville, IL.

Nobody wants to wear a glove that’s stiff, scratchy or uncomfortable. Many factors, including comfort, play into whether workers will or won’t wear their gloves. At a high level, these can be described as either product-specific or safety culture-specific factors.

Product-specific compliance

The most important consideration when choosing work gloves is, of course, protection against any hazards inherent in the job. New innovations have brought gloves that protect up to ANSI Cut Level A9, Impact Level 3 and more. But it’s also important to consider whether that high protection comes in a glove that’s comfortable enough to encourage compliance.

At any protection level, gloves made of thinner, softer, higher-gauge materials that provide excellent dexterity play a big role in overall comfort and guarding against hand fatigue. If workers are handling small parts, tactile sensitivity becomes a larger factor, so workers aren’t tempted to remove their gloves and risk injury to get the job done.

Cooler materials and fabrics that wick moisture away from the hand can ward off sweaty, uncomfortable skin and make it easier to wear a glove all day.

Touch-screen compatibility allows workers to keep their gloves on while operating electronics. The latest technologies in hand protection can provide all of this and more with gloves that are suited to almost any hazard and environment, so make sure you know all your options and remember that you no longer have to compromise comfort for safety.

Safety culture-specific compliance

An often-overlooked aspect of compliance is your safety culture. Specifically, workers’ understanding of the hazards and the psychological comfort they feel when wearing their personal protective equipment. Proper training and good mentorship are key to ensuring workers understand the hazards in their environment and the reasons they need protection. That includes initial new-employee training, as well as frequent follow-ups, posted reminders, short reminder videos and, of course, toolbox talks.

But all the training in the world is unlikely to overcome PPE reluctance if workers see others not properly protecting themselves. A strong safety culture doesn’t just come from the top down – it encourages workers to remind each other that they need to stay compliant to stay safe. Policies like rewarding workers for spotting hazards, encouraging employees to wear-test gloves to get them bought into which glove they wear and an overall atmosphere of being our brother’s/sister’s keeper is as valuable a defense against noncompliance as comfortable gloves.

So, although physical comfort is indeed king, remember that there are many pieces to the comfort puzzle that depend heavily on the hazards, the environment and the ability to get the job done. And the most comfortable glove in the world might never be worn if employees don’t recognize its importance in keeping them safe. Accounting for all these factors when you choose and present PPE to your workers will give you the best chance at keeping everyone happily compliant.

Editor's note: This article represents the independent views of the author and should not be considered a National Safety Council endorsement.