When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built back in 1932, 16 lives were lost to accidents during construction. Thankfully, workplace health and safety has come a long way since. Particularly in the last twenty years, technological developments have spurred and enabled increasingly smart and effective safety gear to be designed to keep pace with the modern workplace.
One PPE item that has seen major improvements is gloves. In 2016, glove standards were reviewed to improve their protective function, as well as allow greater dexterity and comfort. Ansell has a firm grip on these changes. They use knitting technology that employs a mix of engineered, synthetic and natural fibres to design gloves that offer high cut resistance, touchscreen capability and protect the skin.
“As technology and workplace conditions have evolved, so too have the materials and designs of Ansell’s wide range of safety products,” says Theo Oostveen, Product Portfolio Manager of Ansell Ltd.
“High-end comfort and safety performance remains a priority across a number of key areas.” These include…
Cut Resistance
The new EN 388 mechanical protection standard provides a more accurate cut resistance rating than its predecessor. Where gloves were previously measured for abrasion, tear, puncture and cut resistance, they now go through two cut resistance tests. This is because the circular blade of the original test could become blunted on the glove material and affect measurements. The new cut resistance rating ranges from A (minimal) to F (extreme).
Touchscreen Capability
As technology advances, more touchscreens are being incorporated into devices, equipment, and machinery, making touchscreen capable gloves essential for worker safety. There are two categories of touchscreens – resistive and capacitive. The former can be operated with most flexible gloves. When it comes to capacitive, however, gloves need a conductive coating or to be made from fabric with a conductive thread. It’s important to note that ESD and anti-static gloves aren’t suitable for either category of touchscreens.
Skin Health
Finally, gloves need to be breathable and hypoallergenic, so they don’t cause harm to the user in terms of allergies or skin health issues.
Theo went on to say… “As always, worker safety remains our priority, thus our product selection service is there to ensure safety requirements are met, no matter what new challenges arise.”
If it’s time to update your glove compartment, take a look at Ansell’s range of ultra-light, comfortable and strong protective gloves.
This article first appeared in the latest edition of Safety Spotlight. For more safety articles like this one, click below to checkout the online version of the magazine.
