What PPE Gloves Do I Need For My Industry?
Choosing the right types of gloves for your industry is imperative for workplace safety and comfort. PPE gloves are not only important in offering the right protection against work hazards, but they must also offer the right levels of dexterity for you to carry out work efficiently.
More than one type of glove may be suitable for your industry, depending on the varying nature of your tasks, one day needing higher levels of cut-resistance and others needing more grip.
Follow our guide as we take you through the industries with our recommendations on what gloves you need and why from mechanics and warehouse work to medical and construction industries.
Table of Contents
- What gloves should be used for welding?
- What gloves should be used for rigging?
- What gloves should be used for mechanics?
- What gloves should be used for food handling?
- What gloves should be used for warehouse work?
- What gloves should be used for medical and laboratory work?
- What gloves should be used for construction?
What gloves should be used for welding?
What we recommend:
Heat-resistant welding gloves are crafted with heavy-duty materials. Highly dextrous, they allow for flexible movement to carry out duties efficiently.
- Tig welding gloves
Tig welding gloves are designed for torch welding, requiring greater finger control and glove flexibility.
- Mig welding gloves
Mig welding gloves are thicker and made with leather to protect hands when metal arc welding.
Key features for welding gloves
Heat-resistant materials
Professional welding gloves are usually made from leather to offer high levels of protection against burns.
Reinforced palm and thumb area
A reinforced palm increases the level of protection to ensure the user’s hands are sheltered from the harsh heat.
Abrasion and tear-resistant materials
Welding gloves must be tough and resilient against sharp or heavy objects for user comfort and safeguarding.
What gloves should be used for rigging?
What we recommend:
Tough and hard-wearing, you can use rigger gloves for various tasks, including heavy-duty gardening, forestry and landscaping.
Cut-resistant gloves protect against cuts or abrasions when handling sharp or hazardous items. Being thorn-resistant, they’re suitable for gardening and forestry too.
Key features for rigging gloves
Cut-resistant materials
Rigger gloves require cut-resistant materials, which significantly decrease the severity of an injury when rigging.
Knuckle back protection
Padded knuckles are an ideal feature for rigging gloves for added impact protection and higher user comfort.
Flexibility
Riggers’ gloves must offer protection whilst remaining flexible and breathable to execute duties efficiently.
What gloves should be used for mechanics?
What we recommend:
Resistant to tears, punctures and chemicals, nitrile gloves offer good hand protection while remaining highly dextrous for precision tasks.
- Cut-resistant gloves
Cut-resistant gloves are ideal for handling small sharp parts and offer a good grip for handling parts covered in oil.
With longer wrist cuffs, chemical-resistant gloves are resilient against chemicals, oil and liquids with good grip coating. Perfect for a wide range of mechanical tasks.
Key features of mechanic gloves
Oil-resistant materials
Mechanic gloves should be crafted from oil-resistant materials for good grip on small to large parts.
Cut-resistant materials
Mechanic work gloves require abrasion and cut resistance against sharp parts.
Chemical-resistant materials
Some mechanical tasks demand protection from brake fluid, oil and other chemicals.
What gloves should be used for food handling?
What we recommend:
Disposable gloves are designed to be used and disposed of regularly to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria and to avoid cross-contamination when handling raw food. They are available in various materials, including nitrile, vinyl and latex, which can be powdered or powder-free.
- Cut-resistant gloves
Made with hard-wearing materials, cut-resistant gloves protect hands while remaining flexible for easy hand movement.
Key features of food-handling gloves
Resistant to tears
Food-handling gloves must be tear-resistant to keep hands covered and prevent germs from spreading.
Good grip
Food safety gloves must offer a good grip for handling greasy or wet items or ingredients.
Meet safety standards
To be considered safe for use with foods, gloves must meet certain guidelines and be tested following European standards EN 1186 or EC 1935/2004, which confirm that the gloves won’t release harmful chemicals into the food or degrade in contact with fatty foods.
What gloves should be used for warehouse work?
What we recommend:
Gripper gloves provide important grip with textured palms and tear-resistant materials for handling various items.
- Cut-resistant gloves
Crafted with durable materials, cut-resistant gloves protect against abrasions or cuts caused when handling heavy packages or sharp edges of boxes.
Polyurethane (PU) gloves offer good protection with soft and supple properties for a snug fit and great flexibility.
With knit wrist cuffs for a secure fit, string knit gloves are great general-purpose gloves for easy movement and good protection.
Key features of warehouse work gloves
Cut-resistant materials
Warehouse work and manual handling can lead to small cuts and abrasions, so gloves must be adequately cut-resistant to protect hands.
Strong grip
Good grip is needed for moving boxes and picking items to make it easier and more comfortable for workers.
Flexibility
Warehouse workers require high levels of hand movement to carry out their duties efficiently. A lower cut-resistance level would be recommended in trade for higher flexibility.
What gloves should be used for medical and laboratory work?
What we recommend:
- Disposable Gloves
Disposable gloves can be worn and thrown away to prevent the spread of disease or infection in medical settings or laboratories.
- Nitrile Gloves
Nitrile gloves are high-quality, durable and highly resistant to tears to prevent chemical exposure.
Latex gloves offer high elasticity for user movement and good grip. They can, however, cause allergic reactions leading to asthma attacks, rashes or anaphylaxis.
Key features of medical and laboratory gloves
Dexterity
Medical workers require a high level of sensitivity and flexibility for carrying out precision tasks.
Chemical-resistant gloves
Medical and laboratory gloves should be chemical-resistant to prevent chemical exposure and resulting hand injuries.
Resistant to tears
Gloves for medical professionals should be puncture-resistant to prevent the spread of germs or cross-contamination.
What gloves should be used for construction?
What we recommend:
- Gripper gloves
Gripper gloves provide a strong grasp for construction tools in dry and wet weather.
- Rigger gloves
Tough and durable for heavy-duty work, rigger gloves offer good abrasion resistance to protect hands.
- Cut-resistant gloves
Cut-resistant gloves offer protection against cuts and wounds inflicted by sharp, heavy or abrasive materials or for working with concrete.
Key features of construction gloves
Thermal protection
Construction gloves should offer good thermal insulation for protection against cold weather for outdoor work that could be extended into long shifts.
Good grip
Builder gloves should offer good grip for handling slippery, wet or oily tools.
Abrasion-resistant materials
Sharp corners and rough materials can cause injuries in construction work, so PPE gloves should offer cut resistance for protection.
Choose the right PPE gloves
Protecting your hands at work is vital to ensure that you can continue to carry out your duties safely.
Consider the nature of the tasks you will be carrying out and choose the most appropriate gloves to protect your hands correctly. This may involve adding a few different gloves to your toolbox so you can reach for the right ones depending on your task.
For more information, follow our guide on the different types of PPE gloves and their benefits or explore our full collection of PPE work gloves.
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