Kimberly-Clark Professional’s
Workplace Wellness Guide recommends that you:
• Verify your gloves are
compatible with your specific applications, processes and
materials before using;
• When performing processes
where gloves will receive prolonged, direct exposure to
chemicals, use a glove specifically designed for chemical
handling;
• Avoid the risk of exposing
your workers, products and facilities to chemical cross
contamination:
Immediately dispose of gloves
after contact with chemicals;
• Double gloving provides
additional barrier protection and allows the outer glove to be
disposed of after contact with chemicals without exposing the
hand;
• Do not use powdered gloves
with substances known to pose inhalant hazards.
When choosing a glove based on
chemical compatibility, consider the following rating scale,
which takes into consideration three primary factors:
1) The ability of the chemical
to permeate (pass through) the glove film;
2) The ability of the chemical
to degrade (break down) the physical structure of the glove
film;
3) The risk that contact
exposure to the chemical poses to the glove wearer.
For an assessment of the
health hazards of chemicals, the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) has developed a system for indicating various
hazards:
• Danger, may be fatal on
short exposure;
• Specialized protective
equipment required;
• Warning, corrosive or toxic;
• Warning, may be harmful if
inhaled or absorbed;
• Caution, may be irritating;
• No unusual hazard;
• No information available.
Avoid skin contact or inhalation.
