Why testing protective gloves for grip performance is so important

A new testing method that provides insightful data on grip performance under different conditions could make it easier for companies that procure protective gloves to identify what hand protection is best for undertaking specific tasks. This blog reveals all.

Anyone who uses protective gloves will know that several factors can influence the safe completion of a work task, including the operational hazards, the objects handled, and the fit of the gloves. Yet, one aspect may be overlooked: grip performance.

Poor grip performance is a significant cause of workplace injuries that may affect multiple parts of a worker’s body. A primary concern is the increased risk of lower leg and foot injuries due to workers accidentally dropping heavy objects. Workers can also face a greater risk of cuts or puncture wounds if their gloves don’t grip sharp objects well. That’s because their hand could slip while using a drill, knife, or saw. In addition, if the glove is unsuitable for a specific task or work environment, it can result in hand fatigue or even muscle strain.

What’s more, there is also a risk that others could be injured if the glove grip is substandard. Let’s say you are using a ladder or on scaffolding and carrying a heavy and/or sharp tool. As you climb, you could lose your grip on the tool that drops some distance, hitting someone below.

Of course, it isn’t only about health and safety. At a time when businesses are still recovering from the pandemic and extremely conscious of costs, losing workers to injuries will not only impact productivity but could result in a costly prosecution if someone is injured. There is also the potential damage to brand reputation.

Minimizing the risk of injuries

Businesses should follow several steps to minimize the likelihood of injuries. These will all influence grip quality and ultimately help the person specifying hand protection determine the correct gloves for specific tasks and work environments.

First, consider all of the potential risks that workers could face on the frontline, from cuts and burns to musculoskeletal disorders, and manage them all effectively.

Second, note the different environmental conditions that workers can operate in, as glove performance in a dry environment can be markedly different from a wet one.

Third, ensure the worker is donning the correct glove size; oversized hand protection, for example, may harm productivity or impair performance due to the hand moving inside the glove.

Finally, recognize that the glove’s materials and coatings will also impact how well it performs.

Independent test offers valuable data

In a significant move-and in the absence of any industry standards or regulations-Midas Safety has collaborated on an independently verified testing procedure that gives health and safety managers insightful data on glove grip performance in dry, oily, and wet conditions.

Drawing on the expertise of a German-based glove testing laboratory, 36 Midas Safety gloves with different coatings and polymers underwent a rigorous test to measure their grip performance.

Understandably, it was essential to determine how effective each glove was in maintaining its grip when put through dry, wet, and oily test conditions.

A rating system was applied, ranging from zero (for poor grip performance) up to 3+ (for excellent grip performance). All gloves that could maintain grip were classed as ‘slip resistant’.

Based on these results, some gloves were better suited for specific work applications than others. The glove that demonstrated the best performance across all the test criteria was Midas Safety’s Waves Lite range. Midas Safety has now implemented a similar test set up in all its factories, enabling a solid product comparison, making grip ratings more objective.

However, while grip performance is critical to performing tasks safely, it is not the only important consideration. As highlighted earlier, how well a glove fits matters, as does its thickness and weight.

As the industry waits for the introduction of internationally recognized safety standards for measuring grip performance, Midas Safety’s test offers a valuable comparison guide to help end users benchmark gloves more easily. Thanks to this data, users are better positioned to select the most suitable hand protection for their specific requirements.