Using proper sized gloves is an important step to preventing injuries. Wearing the correct sized gloves will help to reduce ergonomic risk factors that can lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders.
Concern About Gloves
While wearing gloves is often a necessity for many occupations their use can expose workers to risk factors that can increase the risk of injury.
Gloves that are too small can restrict movement and blood flow by exerting pressure on the hand, limit dexterity, increase perspiration, and lead to fatigue of the muscles. Gloves that are too large can reduce finger dexterity, reduce grip strength, and affect productivity. Workers will take off gloves that don't fit and aren't comfortable, throwing out any chance of protection and safety. The “one-size-fits all” approach to gloves doesn’t work when you’re dealing with a physically diverse work force.
Gloves reduce the finger’s ability to “feel” what they are touching (tactile sensation). With the loss of the sensation, they will often grip harder to “feel” what they are coming into contact with. Poorly fitting gloves increase the amount of force required by the muscles because they have to work harder to compensate for the loose or tight glove.
With the loss of tactile sensation, the worker will squeeze the handle of a vibratory tool harder in order to ‘feel’ what they are doing which tenses the muscles. This extra tensing of the muscles will then increase rate of absorption of vibration into the hands since it is no longer a soft structure but a rigid one. Proper tactile feedback (ability to feel) ensures that the worker can safely grasp and use the tool with minimal grip force, which is important since if one can not feel how hard they are gripping they squeeze harder, tensing their muscles which attenuates the vibration signal and increase vibration transmission to the hands.
Prevention
Using gloves that are the proper size will greatly reduce the risk of injury. In order to determine what size glove, you should be using, select your sex at birth below.
Examples of non-slip gloves, and gloves with nodules.
Using non-slip gloves will reduce the need for extra force or adjustments to body posture, eliminating additional stress to muscles and joints. Some gloves also have rubber nodules (touch control) built into the fingertips to provide the much-needed tactile feedback to the fingers.
Workers who need high levels of dexterity (fine finger movements) need a glove with customized finger configurations to meet their needs, from full-fingered gloves (where full finger coverage is needed), to a three-quarter finger for working with small items. If the task does not require high dexterity, a three-fingered glove can be used allowing for increased warmth of the digits.
Examples of three-quarter finger glove, three-quarter finger glove/mitten hybrid and a three-fingered glove.
Example of anti-vibration glove
Workers who regularly operate vibrating pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, or gasoline-powered hand tools are especially at risk of injury. Vibration-reducing gloves designed with gel polymer-injected cushions in the palm, fingers and thumb can protect against harmful vibrations to the hand.
Concern About Gloves
While wearing gloves is often a necessity for many occupations their use can expose workers to risk factors that can increase the risk of injury.
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Improper Fit
Gloves that are too small can restrict movement and blood flow by exerting pressure on the hand, limit dexterity, increase perspiration, and lead to fatigue of the muscles. Gloves that are too large can reduce finger dexterity, reduce grip strength, and affect productivity. Workers will take off gloves that don't fit and aren't comfortable, throwing out any chance of protection and safety. The “one-size-fits all” approach to gloves doesn’t work when you’re dealing with a physically diverse work force.
Force Requirements
Gloves reduce the finger’s ability to “feel” what they are touching (tactile sensation). With the loss of the sensation, they will often grip harder to “feel” what they are coming into contact with. Poorly fitting gloves increase the amount of force required by the muscles because they have to work harder to compensate for the loose or tight glove.
Vibration
With the loss of tactile sensation, the worker will squeeze the handle of a vibratory tool harder in order to ‘feel’ what they are doing which tenses the muscles. This extra tensing of the muscles will then increase rate of absorption of vibration into the hands since it is no longer a soft structure but a rigid one. Proper tactile feedback (ability to feel) ensures that the worker can safely grasp and use the tool with minimal grip force, which is important since if one can not feel how hard they are gripping they squeeze harder, tensing their muscles which attenuates the vibration signal and increase vibration transmission to the hands.
Prevention
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Proper Glove Size
Using gloves that are the proper size will greatly reduce the risk of injury. In order to determine what size glove, you should be using, select your sex at birth below.
Examples of non-slip gloves, and gloves with nodules.
Grip
Using non-slip gloves will reduce the need for extra force or adjustments to body posture, eliminating additional stress to muscles and joints. Some gloves also have rubber nodules (touch control) built into the fingertips to provide the much-needed tactile feedback to the fingers.
Dexterity
Workers who need high levels of dexterity (fine finger movements) need a glove with customized finger configurations to meet their needs, from full-fingered gloves (where full finger coverage is needed), to a three-quarter finger for working with small items. If the task does not require high dexterity, a three-fingered glove can be used allowing for increased warmth of the digits.
Examples of three-quarter finger glove, three-quarter finger glove/mitten hybrid and a three-fingered glove.
Example of anti-vibration glove
Vibration
Workers who regularly operate vibrating pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, or gasoline-powered hand tools are especially at risk of injury. Vibration-reducing gloves designed with gel polymer-injected cushions in the palm, fingers and thumb can protect against harmful vibrations to the hand.
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