INCREASE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE OFFICE IN SIX GREEN-FRIENDLY STEPS.
Hand hygiene is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of illness. Though gloves are not a substitute for good hand hygiene, disposable gloves can play an essential role in health and safety at work, from protecting employees from potentially dangerous microbes or hazardous chemicals to keeping patients and customers safe.
Which type of glove is right for you and your team depends on many factors, including the types of tasks you’re doing. Here’s what to take into account when choosing the best disposable gloves for your team:
- Glove options
- Other considerations
- Glove safety
Keep reading to learn more about how to choose the right disposable glove.
What are my options?
The most popular types of disposable gloves are latex gloves, nitrile gloves, and vinyl gloves.
- Latex gloves are made from natural rubber and have been the most commonly used disposable gloves for decades. They’re elastic, strong, and fit like a second skin.
- Nitrile gloves are made from synthetic rubber, making them a popular alternative for those with latex allergies. Nitrile gloves are thin but strong and have been growing in popularity as they become more affordable.
- Vinyl gloves, made from PVC, are another alternative for people with allergies and are the least expensive of these three options. Vinyl gloves are comfortable for short-term use but are looser and less durable than latex and nitrile.
What else should I consider?
Different environments call for different glove types. All of the gloves mentioned above are commonly used for cooking and food preparation, counter tasks, washing dishes, and light janitorial work.
Latex gloves and nitrile gloves are also frequently used in health care. Vinyl gloves are often used only in low-infection and non-hazardous environments because they offer a lower protection level.
Nitrile gloves, which may also come in a “medical-grade,” are often considered the most versatile of these three types of gloves. These gloves are commonly used in high-risk situations because they are puncture-resistant and can resist many kinds of chemicals.
Vinyl gloves are popular in the food industry. Although they’re less durable, they’re also the most cost-effective option.
Glove safety
Choosing the right disposable glove is just one step of the glove safety process – you also need to know how to wear them safely. Otherwise, you may end up doing more harm than good; failing to change gloves when required poses the same safety risks as failing to wash your hands.
Here are some tips on how to wear gloves from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Always perform hand hygiene before putting gloves on and immediately after removing gloves. Proper hand hygiene means cleaning your hands by washing them with soap and water or using an antiseptic hand rub, such as an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Change gloves if they become damaged.
- Change gloves when you change tasks. For example, in the food industry, you should change gloves whenever you go from working on a food-related job to a cleaning task and vice versa. You should also change gloves after touching your bare skin. Another example, you should use gloves whenever you pump gas. Throw away your gloves when finished and before you get back in your car and touch your steering wheel.
- Learn the right way to remove dirty gloves to avoid additional contamination.
Every industry has specific recommendations for glove safety and hand hygiene, so make sure to become familiar with the proper techniques for your business.
Once you determine the right disposable glove for your workplace, EZ Office Products offers many varieties of latex gloves, nitrile gloves, and vinyl gloves to purchase. They come in a range of sizes, colors, and options, such as powder-free. Start shopping our online catalog today or set up your business account with our local customer concierge at (608) 310-4300.