Dangers of inadequate hand protection highlighted
August 14th 2008

Unnecessary hand injuries and contact dermatitis continue to affect hundreds of thousands of workers every year, with HSE statistics on accident incidence remaining static in many industries over the last five years.

As well as seriously affecting quality of life for individuals - in extreme cases leading to permanent disability or even fatality - the problem can be expensive for businesses, impacting productivity and leading to compensation claims. Yet the availability of high quality hand protection has never been better, and in many cases the problem need not arise at all.

"Users continue to disregard their hands, viewing them as just a tool, and often hand protection is an afterthought" commented James Arrowsmith, Business Development Manager at Polyco. "We see situations every day where users are exposing their hands to dangerous situations without an effective barrier, instances which not uncommonly lead to irrevocable damage to individuals and leave employers with steep costs in fines and compensation fees."

In one recent case, a worker suffered serious burns because of not wearing adequate protection. The resulting HSE investigation found the company in breach of PPE regulations, and liable to pay fine and compensation costs totalling £9,434 - a considerable amount for the company. Potential compensation claims alone can be anything up to £20,000, yet instances like this one can easily be avoided by better adherence to available health & safety guidelines.

Polyco has listed the five most common pitfalls of glove usage.

1. Using the wrong gloves

It's essential to have the correct gloves available to employees. This can be complicated by the need to have several different types of glove available in any one environment for different handling requirements. Each glove needs to be separately stored and clearly identified with the appropriate symbol.

2. Using old or damaged gloves

In order to provide full protection, gloves should be in good condition; clean and dry. If gloves are visibly contaminated or damaged they cannot be relied on to provide full protection. They need to be regularly checked and replaced as soon as signs of wear and tear appear.

3. Not wearing gloves at all

Often users, despite being aware of the hazards, often forget or choose not to wear gloves at all. This is because they can feel that gloves make them hot or impede dexterity. Again, choosing the right gloves for the situation can improve wearability to encourage users to put them on.

4. Using the cheapest gloves available

Companies often fall into the trap of cutting costs by providing cheap or disposable gloves which aren't up to the rigours of the job.

5. Lack of management processes to ensure compliance

At the end of the day users cannot be relied on to comply with legislation and it is up to the company to ensure that management and monitoring is in place for full compliance.

"Companies need to wake up to the fact that any scenario where inadequate protection is in place is an accident waiting to happen," commented James Arrowsmith. "Spending a few additional pounds on making the right protection available to workers is an investment which can save the company thousands should the worst happen."

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