Last Updated on March 10, 2024 by Haris Khan
How to compare different types of gloves in terms of thickness, quality, and strength?
Gloves form an essential part of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) which is important for protecting workers from injury or other serious health risks. At the time of COVID-19 or coronavirus, gloves were in high demand for personal protection equipment, including gloves. As a result, it may be difficult to get the gloves you and your staff are currently using when you may need to identify other gloves that can meet your need as well.
Gloves are used in many industries for multiple purposes. Choosing the best and safest glove is highly important which will require considering several factors for identifying what glove materials are best for your facility. It is highly important to understand that there are different types of gloves available in the market, and each one is different in its way. For instance, thin latex gloves are useful in situations where there’s a risk of puncture or tear. The best glove for your facility will be based on several factors, including usage, thickness, tensile, strength, elasticity, and puncture or other chemical resistance requirements.
Things to consider when choosing a glove:
Disposal Gloves –
There are many disposable gloves available, each to suit the different needs of the healthcare provider. But mainly there are two types of disposable gloves, i.e., for general purpose and medical gloves. Where general gloves are commonly used for food handling, janitorial, salons, and automotive stores. Whilst, medical or exam-grade gloves are used for examination, surgery, chemotherapy, and other types of healthcare.
The materials of gloves will ultimately affect the level of protection, durability, comfort, and more. These kinds of gloves are best for one-time use and should only be used for one task. It can be discarded after every use.
Reusable Gloves –
Reusable gloves are sometimes labeled as industrial or heavy-duty, which offer greater protection and are less likely to tear in use than disposable gloves. They protect against chemicals and hazardous materials. Though they are thicker than disposable gloves, but are less flexible and limit touch sensitivity.
To maintain their usefulness, reusable gloves must be washed and dried after every usage. You need to take proper care if the gloves were used with chemicals to avoid cross-contamination or injury.
Specific regulations for different industries –
Foodservice industry – State and local health codes require that normal-purpose gloves are used for food service operations. Gloves for the food industry are regulated by FDA through the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) which are specifically meant for food. These are chemical free and designed for food only.
Cleaning industry – Gloves used in the cleaning industry are not regulated by the FDA. Though, the glove materials have a different kind of chemical for making it tear resistant. If your staff works regularly with harsh chemicals, then make sure you select a perfect glove material that is resistant to chemicals and intended for high-risk situations.
Healthcare facilities – In thehealthcare industry, exclusive medicinal gloves are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to their guidelines, medical gloves must meet certain criteria like tear resistance, biocompatibility, leak resistance, etc. It is highly ensured that medical gloves must be powder-free.
Important factors to see when buying gloves –
Thickness – The thickness of gloves is measured in mil. A mil is equal to 1000 inches. The thickness of gloves is generally ranging from 2 to 1 mil thick. In general, the thicker a glove is, the more protection it provides. This also increased thickness with touch sensitivity and may make it harder to work.
Tensile strength – It isthe amount of force it can bear so that when you pull it up, it won’t tear. The tensile strength is measured in mPa which is mega-pascal. The lower the mPa rating is the more likely it is that glove will easily tear. The minimum tensile strength is 11 mPa.
Elongation – This is the measurement of gloves’ ability to be stretched without getting a break. Medical gloves need 300% elongated gloves which are perfect to carry.
Proper chemical resistance – All the glove materials are resistant to different chemicals. Gloves can provide effective protection against chemicals depending on how it encounters them. There are two types of chemical contact Incidental or Extended.
Length – The length of the globe is the measurement from the fingertip to the wrist opening. Long gloves are necessary when healthcare providers are working in areas of increased risk.
Shelf Life – Each glove substrate has its own shelf life which will ultimately depend on how and where the glove is stored. The best way to help is to get ensured of getting the most life out of your disposable gloves to ensure they are stored in a cool or dark area.
Conclusion –
Gloves are the most important health care product which is highly required to keep you and your staff protected. Easy aid provides a wide range of healthcare products to help keep your clinic and staff safe. So, whenever you are looking for gloves or other equipment, you can simply get in touch with Easy Aid – the best healthcare product supplier and rest assured of 100% safe and quality products.
