Everyday Practices That May Affect Glove Barrier

Everyday Practices That May Affect Glove Barrier
The barrier protection of any glove may be further compromised by everyday practices that include storage conditions, skin care, personal habits and the inability to rapidly identify type of base material. Several of these practices are identified as follows.
Glove Specific:
Selection of Powder-Free versus Powdered Gloves. Powder can defeat the intent of glove barrier protection by functioning as a vehicle for the transport of infectious microorganisms and interfering with the local resistance to infection in wounds where powder is deposited. Glove powder may cause dermatitis with cracks and open lesions on the hands. This break of the natural skin barrier may enhance microbial access into the body. Powder can also absorb and aerosolize disinfectants, drugs and other chemicals with which the powdered glove comes in contact – again by-passing the protective intent of the glove.
Rapid Identification of Base Material (e.g., label, glove ID, color). When you or your staff grab a glove, is it readily apparent which type of material you are donning? Is the base glove material labeled generically as "synthetic" or does it specify vinyl, nitrile or other synthetic material? It does little good to understand the differences in barrier capability among glove materials if the material of the glove you are grabbing is not readily apparent. Is the color such that vinyl gloves, for instance, can be differentiated from NRL gloves? Mistaken identity can lead to the use of a latex colored vinyl glove when the barrier protection quality of an NRL was the intended selection. Or, an NRL allergic individual may mistakenly grab an NRL glove, which may result in an adverse reaction.
The same thought process applies to brightly colored NRL and NRL/synthetic blends where natural rubber latex and synthetic
materials can be confused.
Selection of Glove Size. There should be a full range of glove sizes to accommodate all personnel. Glove length, width, finger contour and thumb position are among the factors to consider when evaluating appropriate glove fit. Gloves should conform to the hands, yet allow ease of movement (low modulus) to minimize fatigue. Poor fitting gloves can interfere with the optimal performance of procedures. “Baggy” gloves can cause wearers to execute procedures awkwardly. If infectious agents or hazardous chemicals are used, accidental spills can put staff at personal risk.
Check for the Sticking of Adhesives to the Glove. If the glove is to be used for tasks that require tape or adhesive label contact, check to see if the adhesive material adheres to the glove. Consider an alternate glove if adherence occurs, as forced removal may cause microscopic tears in the material.
Observe for Clumps and Debris. A "halo effect" may be seen around debris imbedded in the glove material. The halo may indicate a weakened area that can fracture during use. This effect can occasionally be seen at glove fingertips where a drop of the liquid
glove material can solidify during production.
Glove materials are degraded by different substances. Note the elongation of the thumb and forefinger of this glove after a task that required sustained contact with an oil-based product.

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      Lin Yang(Ms.)

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     ZHEJIANG RUICO ADVANCED MATERIALS CO., LTD.(STOCK NO.: 873233)

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