While finding the right glove grade and material for tasks is extremely important, ensuring that gloves fit well and are the right size can make all the difference in terms of ensuring user comfort, and preventing contamination.
Know What Gloves You Need
The first step to finding the perfect glove for your needs is knowing what your need is, and what grade or material of glove is suitable to meet your needs.
Food service grade gloves generally have a looser fit and are designed for quick and easy general or foodservice tasks such as preparing a salad or sandwich for service.
Medical/exam grade gloves are used when there is a risk of coming in contact with bodily fluids or other contaminates. They can be used during medical examinations or procedures.
Industrial grade gloves (latex, nitrile, and vinyl) can stand up to harsher chemicals. They are ideal for completing janitorial or general cleaning tasks.
Loose Fitting Gloves
While some gloves are naturally loose fitting, gloves that are too loose fitting can result in gloves coming off while in use and cause bare hands to come in contact with food items or medical instruments. They may also provide inadequate protection against contaminants due to their loose fit to user’s skin. If gloves seem too long or wide, they are likely too large.
Loose fitting gloves can be uncomfortable and cause skin irritation or chafing in certain styles. They can also result in having less control over grip and handling, making detailed tasks difficult and causing unnecessary strain on user’s hands.
Tight Fitting Gloves
Nitrile, latex and C2 Hybrid gloves are designed to be form fitting to prevent gloves from slipping off while in use. However, gloves that are too tight fitting may result in gloves ripping or tearing while in use, putting users, customers, or patients at risk of contamination, and resulting in the wastage of gloves.
If you put on gloves and notice that the material seems stretched, it feels too tight, or there are already rips or tears forming, the glove is too small and other larger size options may need to be explored. Gloves should always allow for easy movement and should not put strain on users hands or fingers.
Important Points
Always ensure that gloves are donned and removed appropriately to prevent contamination and ensure they are providing quality protection. If gloves become ripped or torn while in use, they should be removed immediately.
Hand washing is another important aspect of using disposable gloves. Ensure that hands are washed before and after using disposable gloves to keep hands and surfaces sanitary.
AIC’s latex, nitrile, vinyl and C2 Hybrid gloves are available in a variety of sizes to suit any user’s need and prevent contamination in workplaces.
