Build-in better hand care
December 1st 2006 The hands of those working on construction sites have to contend with many hazards – sand, bricks, cement and extremes of weather, for example. Here, Tom Buyens, marketing coordinator for Best Manufacturing Europe NV, offers suggestions on selecting an appropriate glove for the task in hand When handling bricks with bare hands, the builder will soon find that everything he touches feels like sandpaper. The cutting edges of sand, stones and other sharp materials will aggravate the situation. Hands protect themselves by developing horny skin, but remain at risk. Wearing gloves can protect the builder against abrasion (first digit under the EN 388 pictogram) and against cuts (second digit under the EN 388 pictogram). Polymercoated gloves provide 2 to 20 times better abrasion resistance. Next to abrasion and cut problems, the builder also has to contend with chemical and allergy risks. Wet cement is extremely alkaline (pH =11 to 13), while the normal skin is mildly acidic (pH = 4.5 to 5.5). This means that the wet cement will dry out and could burn the skin. One of the sensitisers and a lung carcinogen in wet cement is hexavalent chromium. Due to changes in the skin's pH the absorption of this dangerous substance is increased. In addition to hexavalent chromium, water, thiurams and epoxy resins can all cause allergic and irritant contact dermatitis. The builder can protect himself by selecting an appropriate glove. However, the choice of glove needs to be looked at very carefully as some gloves can make the allergy condition worse. Leather gloves that contain chromium, for instance, should never be worn in construction. Polymer-coated gloves, however, will provide a high level of protection. Another material that protects against chromium is nitrile. Natural rubber latex in combination with chromium, however, will show a higher potential for allergies. Another allergy source is thiurams, which are rubber accelerators used in the vulcanisation process of many natural latex and synthetic rubber gloves. Wearing accelerator-free gloves will reduce such allergies. Last but not least, the builder's hands should be protected against allergies caused by epoxy resins. A few studies indicated that nitrile, butyl and viton gloves provide protection against these chemicals. An appropriate glove, for example, would be an accelerator-free nitrile glove. Seasons also have their disadvantages for the builder's hands. In summer, hot temperatures may lead to sweaty hands. Gloves should enable sweat to evaporate, for instance through a non-coated cotton liner. In winter, the builder can make use of fleece-lined gloves to keep his hands nicely warm. Thus, the liner can play an important role to determine the hand's temperature. Temperature is more a comfort issue than a safety issue. However, European statistics have indicated that only half of the construction workers wear their gloves at least half of their working hours, meaning that half of the builders might take risks due to the lack of comfort caused by the gloves or lack of dexterity; they forget about the risks that might be present and the higher grip provided by quality gloves. Best recommends that builders choose a glove with good abrasion resistance. If handling sharp objects, look at cut resistant gloves (and sleeves). Investigate the polymer coatings used to prevent allergies and chemicals penetrating. Accelerator-free nitrile is suitable, but a quality liner to avoid direct contact to the liner might also help. Another alternative might be to use a combination of gloves, which might be an accelerator-free nitrile under a lined glove. Adapt your liner to weather conditions. Take time to get your glove selection right and those most important construction site tools – your hands – will cause you less pain. More articles from Best Manufacturing Europe NV: | 
