Safety Tip- To glove or not to glove, do you need gloves at all?

Our hands have a protective layer of skin called the dermis. This protective layer can become irritated when using chemicals, so to enhance our own natural protection Delta Kits recommends that all windshield repair and headlight restoration technicians wear gloves.

Don’t make your choice based on price alone! All gloves do not provide the same level of protection. For example, latex gloves offers little to no protection against many of the chemicals used for windshield repair and headlight restoration as they are easily permeated and degrade quickly. Latex is not a good choice for windshield repair and headlight restoration technicians. In contrast, Nitrile gloves provide a better barrier because they offer low permeation and high resistance to chemical degradation. They are also more durable. Nitrile gloves, which cost about $15.00 for a box of 100, offer good value for your safety dollar. Permeation refers to the capacity of a given chemical to pass through the glove material at the molecular level. Degradation is the actual chemical breakdown of the glove material.

Not all Nitrile gloves are created equal. Some offer far better resistance to tears and punctures, which brings up the cost vs value issue again. A Nitrile glove that is compromised by a tear or puncture is worse than not wearing a glove at all as chemicals can become trapped against the skin. If a Nitrile glove is torn or punctured it should be disposed of and hands should be washed thoroughly with hot water and soap immediately.

Nitrile gloves have low resistance to friction and slide on easy. They are made from a synthetic polymer and they do not contain any protein so they are hypoallergenic and less likely to cause irritation. Most Nitrile gloves are very durable, provide a high degree of softness, flexibility, and generally provide better protection against a greater range of chemicals than other disposable gloves. Nitrile gloves also protect against the acrylic acids found in windshield repair resins, whereas latex and vinyl gloves do not.

The premium blue color of our Nitrile glove serves a functional purpose as it makes it much easier to spot pin holes in the event a puncture or tear occurs. Remember, safety first. Wear Nitrile gloves when repairing windshields or restoring headlights.

Helpful tips for Nitrile glove use from the Environmental Protection Agency and Delta Kits.

•    No glove will hold up indefinitely. Change your Nitrile gloves more often with higher exposure to solvents and chemicals. Also, change gloves immediately if they show signs of wear, tears, punctures, or pinholes.

•    Never reuse a disposable glove. They are meant for one time use only. Removal should be from the cuff so after the glove is removed it is inside out.

•    To keep your hands as healthy as possible, keep them clean inside your nitrile gloves and wash them after you have used the gloves. Dirt on your hands while you are using gloves can irritate your skin.

•    If you sweat with gloves on, make sure you wash your hands when you take the gloves off. A build up of sweat and moisture under nitrile gloves will irritate your skin.

•    For extra protection a barrier cream or foam can be used prior to putting on the Nitrile gloves.

•    When wearing disposable gloves it is very important to have a proper fit, which in a disposable glove means a tight fit. There should be no loose material at the end of the fingers or anywhere else in the glove. Proper fitting gloves increase dexterity and are much less susceptible to failure.

Nitrile gloves are available in powdered to go on easier, or powder free.