Everything You Need to Know about Impact Resistant Gloves

Investing in safety equipment in the workplace will never be a wrong choice. A safe environment allows workers to work without risk or worry, increasing efficiency and productivity.

Impact resistant gloves are another personal protective equipment that should be present in the workspace. Safety gloves are essential, but which type of safety gloves are needed? How do you know if impact resistant gloves are right for you? 

This article/blog post explores everything you need about impact- resistant gloves.

What are Impact Resistant gloves?

Impact resistant gloves are also known as anti-impact gloves. They are safety gloves designed to protect workers’ hands and prevent injuries in work situations where impact hazards pose a risk.  Impact resistant gloves help protect the hands from impact injuries like cuts, lacerations, fractures, punctures, and bruises.

This is why anti-impact gloves are critical for workers in industries like construction, mining, oil and gas, automotive, and manufacturing. These gloves protect the hands from the wrists, palms, and back of the hands, and they have extra protection around the fingers and knuckles, which are most vulnerable to impact injuries.

When Do You Need Impact Resistant gloves?

Impact resistant gloves are needed when work is done in the following environments or situations.

• Working with sharp metal objects.
• Operating power tools.
• Handling heavy materials, components, or equipment.
• Operating heavy machinery.
• Working with metal fabrication.
• Assembling and welding.
• Drilling operations.
• Working in confined spaces.
• Working in an environment with unsecured or falling objects.
• Construction and rig sites.

How do Impact Resistant gloves work?

Impact resistant gloves are designed with impact-resistant materials like Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) and other design elements that help disperse and absorb the energy resulting from the force of an impact over a larger area. This reduces the amount of impact force on the hand, reducing the risk of impact injuries on the hands.

Impact resistant gloves are also designed for flexibility, dexterity, and comfort. They are designed with materials that have room for bending, stretching, and moving; this gives a range of movement to workers when working. This way, workers have protection against impacts and still work effectively.

Impact resistant gloves are supposed to protect the knuckles and fingers that are especially vulnerable to impact injuries. Therefore, they have extra protection using materials or designs like rubber, leather, foam, padding, and reinforced stitching to provide additional protection in these areas.

Choosing the Right Anti-Impact gloves for Work

No single anti-impact glove is a one size fits all. With the variety of impact resistant gloves available in the market today, knowing how to choose the right glove that meets the workplace needs and offers maximum protection is necessary. When choosing gloves for work, it is essential to follow these guidelines.

Assessing the Forms of Impact Hazards in the Workplace.  

Evaluate the workplace to determine what type of anti-impact glove is needed. The forms and levels of impact hazards in one industry always differ. For example, a worker who deals with electricity should not use a glove containing metals.

Identify the specific situations, frequency, and force of impacts incident. Also, identify what other safety risks (cuts, abrasions, chemical exposure) co-exist with impact hazards. Doing this will help determine the suitable gloves to choose from.  

Sizing and Fitting

Wearing safety gloves that are too small or too large, too loose or too tight can compromise workplace safety. When choosing anti-impact gloves, ensure the accurate measurement of the hands in terms and size.

A wrong size or fitting glove will be uncomfortable and reduce dexterity and efficiency. When choosing a glove, measure your hands for the proper measurements, and look at the glove size before purchasing. Also, choose gloves with the best sizing and fitting that allow a range of hand movements, finger precision when working, and dexterity. 

Other Factors

•   Breathability: in hot temperatures, the glove should be breathable.
•   Grip: the glove should have reliable grip control.  
•   Flame resistance: look out for flame and heat-resistant gloves for flammable environments.
•   Comfort: it should be comfortable on the palm, even after a long period.
•   Durability: a good glove should have a long life span to withstand long hours of use and eliminate the need for constant replacement.

The hands are critical and worth every layer of protection they require.  If you are thinking of getting an impact-resistant glove for yourself or your workers, you should start with our collection of high-quality anti-impact gloves.