When buying PPE en masse, it is understandable that low cost can be incredibly attractive. Of course, there is a potential risk that low cost will not equate to high quality, meaning equipment may fail and need to be replaced much sooner than slightly more expensive counterparts, costing the company more money in the long run.
When it comes to gloves and ensuring an adequate level of hand protection, this is an area that should not be overlooked in favour of lower costs. Ensuring the right level of cut protection along with the highest level of dexterity and comfort for the job is incredibly important.
One of the most important things to look out for when selecting safety gloves is compliance with the relevant EN standards. Buying cheap gloves doesn’t necessarily guarantee that gloves will have been tested in line with this standard, which is why it’s so important to buy from a reputable manufacturer who will ensure their products meet such standards. After all, it’s their reputation as well as your safety at stake!
All TraffiGlove products are tested and conform to the requirements of EN388, which covers the test requirements for safety gloves that are sold as protection against mechanical risks. Our innovative 3 colour-coded system allows for ease of identification when it comes to seeing if workers are wearing the correct level of cut protection for the job at hand. The cut protection level is determined by colour, with red (warning) gloves providing the lowest level of cut protection, amber providing medium level, and green (safe to go) the highest level of protection.
When selecting safety gloves, a common issue arises when comfort and dexterity are given more precedence than cut protection. Those working in skilled jobs, such as carpenters or electricians often sacrifice protection for improved dexterity by choosing a cheaper, often thinner glove or worse still, do not wear gloves at all. This practice should be discouraged, not only as hand and finger agility can be badly hindered through injury, ultimately leading to lost man hours, but also because there are safety gloves out there that can provide excellent protection, comfort and dexterity for the user.
Reduced cost can often mean reduced quality, this applies across many different markets and the same applies to PPE. Scrimping on quality increases the chance of lost work hours and money spent replacing defunct equipment that doesn’t last a reasonable amount of time. The smallest level of wear and tear such as a split seam or worn down palm can render a safety glove insufficient for the task at hand and sadly, there are examples where inadequate gloves are being worn for certain tasks – this endangers the worker and also means that safety managers are not compliant with legal safety procedure.
Working closely with our customers, gaining valuable feedback over the long term, we are confident that a glove that offers a combination of the correct level of cut protection and comfort at a reasonable price will allow for a happy work force and a healthy bank balance too.
Franz Lorenschitz is marketing manager for TraffiGlove
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This is nothing more than an advert for your company! I for one am fed up with SHP being handed over to all and sundry to peddle their wares or get CPD points for writing irrelevant articles!
The excessive use of gloves across too many industries is trying to achieve the Nirvana of zero hand injuries and introduces other, more significant problems.
All personnel being forced to wear gloves (as on too many construction projects), simply makes a mockery of H&S. Electricians and the like need to have dexterity and feel when handling small components. Sweaty hands bring discomfort and distraction (as was found on some construction projects where fingers had to be cut from the gloves to maintain compliance). Minor cuts and abrasions are part and parcel of certain trades and we focus too much on the zero incidents and lose sight of what is likely to kill and seriously injuries. Diesel fitters and maintenance engineers working with gloves simply retains the contamination. better to use barrier creams and have good hygiene than spend the money on gloves!
Wearing safety glasses during wet and damp outdoor conditions, where they simply mist up and result in people removing them is another example of a blanket rule which is not based upon risk.
PPE is right when it’s needed, but too often we see people with so much PPE, they look like Michelin men and cannot work in comfort.
I’m unsure about this though.