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ANSI-Rated Puncture-Resistant Work Gloves 101

Hand Protection That Resist Industrial Fine Gauge & Probe Puncture Threats

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Medical and municipal waste disposal carries with it a risk of serious and possibly life-threatening infection. Lurking among the refuse could be anything from a dirty diaper to hazardous materials, but feared the most are the items that can cut or puncture the skin.

Jagged, sharp or pointed items such as metals, plastics and lumber can instantly cut flesh, and having an open wound in a dirty environment puts operators at grave risk to serious infection. But feared the most are puncture injuries from unregulated disposal of syringes.

Accidental needle sticks can transmit blood­borne diseases such as hepatitis, tetanus and HIV/AIDS that could lead to life-threatening or long-term chronic disease. Accidental needle stick injuries pose a considerable expense to the employer as well.  Further medical testing, counseling, lost days and increased compensation costs are just a few.

PREVENTING LIFE-CHANGING INJURIES & SAVING COMPANIES MLLIONS IN EXPENSES

You can easily protect against the most dangerous and feared hazard encountered on the job with our extenive line of ANSI ASTM F2878 fine gauge needle-stick resistant gloves rated puncture-resistant gloves. A specially layered construction of tightly weaved cut-resistant yarns is specifically designed to protect operators against puncture threats such as:

• Syringes/ hypodermic needles
• Nails
• Braided Steel Wire
• Barbed wire
• Thorny plants
• Glass fragments
• Wood splinters

HOW IS PUNCTURE-RESISTANCE MEASURED?

The gloves are tested and labeled against the ANSI Puncture Level Rating on a scale of 1-5, with a level 1 rating (<10 newtons) being the least puncture resistant and a level 5 rating  (< 150 newtons) being the most puncture resistant. As a general rule: The higher the level of protection, the lower the level of dexterity.

1. EN 388:1994 (Large/Blunt-Object Threat): You should use this standard for choosing gloves when facing hazards from large or blunt objects. The EN388 test uses a probe about the size of a ballpoint pen. The rating given to the glove is based on the amount of force needed to pierce the sample. This standard is good for industries like lumber, metal fabrication or waste collection. The only downfall is that this test doesn’t take into account fine-object puncture threats. Markets: Glass, Recycling, Lumber.

2. ASTM F2878 (Fine-Object Threat): To account for that, the ASTM F2878 standard was introduced in February 2016. The ASTM F2878 test was designed to use a 25-gauge probe, the size of a hypodermic needle.  The test measures how many newtons of force it takes to pierce the sample. Markets:  Waste Handling, Law Enforcement, Pulp & Paper, Recycling, Sharps Handling.

WHAT MAKES A GLOVE PUNCTURE-RESISTANT?

EN 388 Testing: Much of a glove’s puncture resistance when being tested for the EN 388 standard comes from the glove’s coating. Different coatings offer different amounts of protection, for instance, nitrile typically has a higher level of puncture resistance than polyurethane.

ASTM F2878 Testing: Since the gauge of the probe is so much thinner, a palm coating alone won’t prevent the probe from penetrating through to the hand. So a barrier material or layer is required to protect against hypodermic needles. One of the most cost efficient and effective options is to weave layers of Kevlar® or para-armid.

TRUSTED PUNCTURE-RESISTANT GLOVE BRANDS

TurtleSkin® is a family of patented materials from Warwick Mills  that are constructed with tightly woven with high-strength  fibers engineered to be very thin (with a thickness equal to three sheets of paper) yet very protective. Turtleskin’s weave interlocks aramid and polyester fibers so tightly they won’t shift or leave gaps for penetrations to slide past.

SuperFabric® from HexArmor® features a configuration of tiny guard plates providing superior performance without sacrificing dexterity.  The configuration of these tiny plates are engineered to block and deflect or trap hazards-it does not  allow puncture threats  to find a “window” to penetrate into the hand.

Alycore™ from Majestic® Glove is an extremely resilient stainless steel mesh that is woven with super thin threads of iron and carbon. Alycore™ is lightweight, flexible, breathable, recyclable and washable. Gloves fitted with the Alycore™ solution easily achieve the highest level of cut resistance,  an unmatched resistance to hypodermic needles and  offer maximum dexterity and sense of touch

Punkban™ pioneering breakthrough from Superior Glove® has been made possible by bringing together innovative, leading-edge textile technology to combine spinning and weaving of Kevlar® by a unique method. The resulting Punkban™ puncture-resistant woven fabric is light, supple and doesn’t impede hand movement.

The necessary hand protection is the most important aspect of keeping those around you from hand injury, so choosing the correct work gloves can be a daunting task. We’d hate for you to be unknowingly exposing yourself to hazardous jabs, probes, and pokes by wearing the wrong gloves for your application, so we hope that this article has given you a deeper understanding of what puncture-resistant gloves are, and how they work. Now all you need to do is hit the link and …

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