When you were considering your job options, you looked into becoming a firefighter, a police officer in the inner city, and an operator of heavy machinery. Too dangerous, you decided. So that’s why you decided to go into laboratory research.

Unfortunately, if you were looking for a safe career, you made the wrong choice.

As an experienced researcher, you know by now that working in a lab exposes you to caustic chemicals, carcinogens, and other hazardous compounds. Luckily, you can lower your risk of harm by wearing the right protective gear in the lab, and by treating the gear appropriately.

Protective Gloves

Quick quiz: Which part of your body is most susceptible to harm while working with chemicals and other hazardous substances?

That’s right – your hands!

Since your hands are constantly working in the laboratory, they’re more likely to come into contact with toxic substances. Here are several points to bear in mind:

• Wearing the correct gloves can go a long way towards protecting your hands from burns, dermatitis, erythema, and the absorption of toxins.
• If you are performing research on primates or rodents, the gloves you select should protect you from anything a lab animal might do. Gloves with a higher thickness will shield you from blood and other secretions, while cut-resistant gloves provide protection from biting and clawing.
• Never reuse disposable gloves, even after washing them.
• Double gloving may be warranted if you’re dealing with extremely dangerous materials.
• Change gloves as soon as you suspect contamination, and wash your hands after removing them and before leaving the laboratory.

Lab Coats and Bunny Suits

As a researcher, you should also wear some sort of protection over your personal clothing while working. While some researchers prefer lab coats, which can be removed quickly in case of a chemical spill, bunny suits will cover your legs as well, giving you full-body protection.

A common mistake when it comes to lab coats and bunny suits is leaving them on when exiting the lab. Some researchers wear these types of gear into outer areas, including offices, meeting rooms, and even cafeterias! Since lab coats and bunny suits are intended to keep dangerous substances away from your body, wearing them in public areas is asking for cross-contamination.

Eye and Face Protection

In the laboratory, splashes or sprays from infectious or other hazardous substances can cause lasting harm to your face and eyes. That’s why it’s so important to invest in eye and face protection, such as goggles, a mask, a face shield, or other splash guard materials. Like other protective gear, make sure to decontaminate the splash guards before reusing them, or throw them away between uses if they’re disposable.

Think you’re off the hook when it comes to eye protection because you’re wearing contact lenses? Unfortunately, contacts do not sufficiently protect the eye. Use goggles or another splash guard to protect your eyes from damage.

Footwear

The type of shoe that you’re wearing wouldn’t seem to be a factor in how safely you’re outfitting, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Wearing sandals or even sneakers can be dangerous in the case of biological or chemical spills. Your options: invest in an expensive pair of safety shoes that can protect against these dangers, or buy polyethylene shoe covers that prevent water-based liquids from penetrating to your shoe or foot.

No matter what type of laboratory you work in, keep yourself safe! Make sure you’re wearing high-quality, up-to-date protection before embarking on your research. It just isn’t worth the risk not to.

 Roadkill collector…volcanic ash mud bath mixer…owl vomit collector… if you watched Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, you’ve seen Mike Rowe tackle them all. But you don’t need to go after rare and unusual jobs in order to find grunge and caustic substances. After all, many common careers require you to roll up your sleeves and don some protective gloves before diving in.

You may not be a maggot farmer, but do you have one of the top 10 dirty jobs in the US? Take a look at where your job falls on the “grossness factor” scale:

 10. Furniture Refinishers. This job sounds simple enough, but if you’re experienced at refinishing furniture, you’ll know that dissolving the surface layers of the finish can create a goopy substance that gets everywhere. Then there are the harsh chemicals that you use on a regular basis, which can eat through regular latex gloves. And if you don’t protect your hands and arms, they’ll be covered in small chemical burns before the job is done.

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This week's blog post was kindly provided by Robert N. Phalen, Ph.D. and Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

Dermatitis is no fun.

I should know because I have dealt with it personally. Twice.

The first time was when I worked in the automotive industry and I noticed my fingernails were getting pitted and thinner. It turned out that one of the solvents or oils we worked with was damaging my cuticles and I was told that I had developed contact dermatitis. The solution…I wore washable cotton gloves, avoided skin contact with all chemicals, and the problem went away.

The second time was in a laboratory working with pesticides. I was responsibly wearing disposable nitrile gloves and I washed my hands regularly to make sure they were clean and free of any pesticides. But despite my efforts, my fingers were often cracked, bleeding and covered with Band-Aids.

Causes of My Dermatitis

My hands were not healthy. One issue was that the gloves trapped moisture and kept my hands moist, which can soften and damage the skin. Another was that I was washing my hands too much, which can remove protective oils and layers of skin.

But the key issue was that I was not removing or handling my contaminated gloves properly. I would sometimes touch the outside of the glove when I removed them, which would transfer the pesticide to my fingers. I also realized that I would use a pen with gloved hands and then use that same pen without gloves. The dermatitis was the most severe in those fingers that held the contaminated pen.

Needless to say, I was motivated to fix the problems and keep my hands healthy.

Thankfully, I was able to figure out these issues. Working with dermatitis was painful: it affected my productivity, and it affected my interactions with others as well. The Band-Aids especially made me feel self-conscious about shaking other people’s hands and I often felt uncomfortable in public. I even had someone accuse me of infecting him with my disease, which further convinced me that others saw me differently.

Preventing Dermatitis

Fortunately, there are solutions to help avoid these types of issues.

Essentially, hand health is important, regardless of whether you are using gloves to protect your hands from chemicals or to protect a product from contamination. Dermatitis (a type of skin inflammation with several possible causes) is a leading occupational disease that can affect anyone working with chemicals or using rubber or plastic gloves. You are more at risk of dermatitis when the skin is constantly wet or damaged, which can affect the natural barrier properties of the skin.

Here are some simple ways to protect your skin and keep your hands healthy.

1. Use lotion. If you use rubber or plastic gloves a lot or if your hands get wet often, then it would be good to also use a lotion designed to promote healing of the skin. These lotions or ointments can be found at almost any drugstore. Most brands that are backed by clinical trials contain petrolatum, oat, or dimethicone. If you find your hands get dry, crack or inflamed easily, then try using a lotion that sooths your skin. You can apply the lotion before bed, in the morning, and after work, as needed.
2. Keep your gloved hands dry. If you use gloves around water, then make sure you are not submerging your hands to where the water gets trapped inside the glove. If your hands are constantly wet, then this is when the skin can become softened and easily damaged. Use a glove with a longer cuff or use a special tool to retrieve items from the water.
3. Do not leave gloves on for prolonged periods of time. Remove the glove when you no longer need it for protection. Leaving gloves on will soften the skin and make it susceptible to damage. Also, leaving a contaminated glove on increases the risk of exposure to the chemical. The chemical has more time to penetrate the glove and the soft and moist skin underneath could even enhance skin absorption and your exposure.
4. Be careful when removing gloves. Do not touch the outer surface with bare hands. There is a standard technique used for bloodborne pathogens that should also be used when working with chemicals. You can view videos on YouTube that explain proper disposable glove removal. The general steps are: 
   
   Step 1: With both hands gloved, pinch the outer wrist region on one glove and start to peel the glove towards the fingers, turning the glove inside out. Only touch the outer surface of the glove.
   Step 2: Pull the first glove completely off the hand, but still keep it pinched in the gloved hand. 
   Step 3: Ball the removed glove into the palm of the remaining gloved hand.
   Step 4: Slide two ungloved fingers inside the inner cuff of the remaining gloved hand, being careful not to touch the outer glove surface.
   Step 5: Peel the second glove off in a similar manner to the first, turning it inside out and trapping any contaminated surfaces inside.
   Step 6: Properly discard the gloves in a receptacle.
   Step 7: Properly wash and dry your hands, as needed.
   
   
5. Be careful what you touch with gloves. Be aware of the things you touch and use when you are wearing gloves and make sure that you do not handle those same items without gloves. 
6. Avoid reusing disposable gloves. The likelihood of contaminating your skin is high with disposable gloves.
7. Wash reusable gloves. If you are using thicker, chemically-resistant gloves that will be re-used, then you may wish to wash and decontaminate them before taking them off. This will reduce your exposure the next time you don the gloves. Some organizations will decontaminate the gloves after each use, in a special washing system (much like a dish washer).

Hopefully, these tips can help you avoid the pain, discomfort and embarrassment of dermatitis. My last advice is that if you are experiencing skin irritation and pain, then it is best to seek professional help from a dermatologist.

The International Rubber Study Group predicts a fourth consecutive year of protective glove surplus  as world production outpaces demand by more than 241k tons in 2014.  In the first half of 2014 alone, material prices have been traditionally stronger due to the effects of the wintering season, discussed in a previous article I’ve written here. Consequently, we expect raw material prices of both nitrile and latex to remain subdued for the foreseeable future.

External Factors Affecting Glove Production and Pricing

Glove manufacturers will continue to face challenges from a tough operating environment.  Strong headwinds include: 

Increased Competition – Many glove manufacturers (notably Hartalenga, Supermax, Top Glove and Kossan) have announced expansion plans and will continue to add capacity over the next few years, predominantly for nitrile.

In addition, Malaysia is the largest supplier of US synthetic rubber gloves.  According to CIMB, Malaysia’s top four glove manufacturers will increase production capacity by a 14.3% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next four years in an attempt to preserve/gain market share.

Natural Gas Tariff Revision – Although natural gas makes up roughly 6% of the cost base of rubber gloves, the natural gas tariff revision will increase approximately 18%.  The net effect of this tariff increases production costs around 1.1% (18% x 6%).

Currency Ex – The Malaysian Ringgit currency (MYR) has recently strengthened against the USD.

Fracking - Due to the discovery of shale oil and the attendant increase in fracking, nitrile prices could increase.  Nitrile rubber is composed of Butadiene and Acrylonitrile.  Butadiene is produced mainly by naphtha-based crackers.  According to IHS Chemical World Analysis (HIS), net ethylene capacity rose by 4.3m metric tons in 2013.  With sufficient butadiene capacity available, it appears that butadiene pricing will remain soft near-term.

That said, increased shale oil fracking has made the cheaper ethane feedstock more readily available which will squeeze out the naphtha-based producers.  This in turn may lead to the reduction of butadiene production.

Future Concerns – The continued appreciation of the Malaysian Ringgit against the U.S. Dollar, a possible flu pandemic and a pivot from nitrile back to natural rubber gloves all could affect the glove pricing market in the near future.

Finding the Right Glove for the Job

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to understanding cut-resistance and gloves.  How much cut-resistance do safety gloves offer?  What do the different levels mean?  How much do I need? 

Safety gloves are worn to protect.  But while some gloves only provide a barrier against dirt, pathogens and body fluids, others can also shield you from pricks, punctures and cuts.

The different levels of cut-resistance in gloves can be confusing.  Joe Geng, Vice President of Superior Glove Works Ltd., offers an infographic that depicts the different cut-resistance levels for gloves and the tasks for which each is best suited. *Please scroll to the end of the article to view the infographic.

Which level of cut-resistant gloves best serves my needs?

Understanding the performance and specifications of cut-resistant gloves is crucial to making sure your employees' hands are properly protected.  The key is to find the right glove for the job.

Sometimes basic gloves may suffice for restaurant workers who handle soft, non-hazardous foods, such as a cafeteria worker who makes peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.  In this case, the cheapest option is likely the best option. Basic poly gloves would suffice in this instance. 

However, you definitely don't want to use gloves that provide inadequate safety for the intended task.  This is called “undergloving.”  We see this frequently during tough economic times when both private and public budgets are under pressure.  The tendency is to trade down in terms of quality in order to save money.

For example, for jobs like deboning meat, there is a very real risk of a puncture. Using a cost-effective poly glove like the one mentioned above might expose that individual to serious injury and the company to significant insurance liabilities. The appropriate glove in this instance would be a nitrile glove that features strong puncture resistance, like the product featured here.

More dangerous jobs such as live-trapping rabid animals or metal-stamping, where there are risks of bites, scratches, cuts, or punctures, demand stronger work gloves such as animal-handling gloves with bite and crush protection suited to the animal. These might be made from Kevlar or metal mesh, and can include gauntlets or extended sleeves to protect the arms.

At the same time, you do not want overkill, buying gloves that are more bulky and more expensive than what the job beckons.  This is called “overgloving.” 

For example, thick chemical-resistant gloves may protect a laboratory scientist from chemical burns, but they will impair the grip and dexterity of a worker using a drill press or lathe, causing an entanglement hazard. To read more about these concerns, check out this link:  http://www.ehow.com/info_7791877_common-hazard-wearing-ppe.html

Determining the right Proper Protective Equipment (PPE) for Your Workplace

PPE isn't one-size-fits-all.  PPE systems must be individually designed for each job.  Wearing the wrong type of protection can place a worker in more danger, rather than protecting them.

The responsibility of glove and proper protective equipment (PPE) selection ultimately rests with the employer by conducting a hazard risk assessment.  This selection is influenced not only by how well the products protect the workers, but also by how the products and their costs affect the company's balance sheet.

BOTTOM LINE - Proper glove selection will increase safety within the confines of your company and can also increase employee productivity and morale. It is in your best interest to research cut-resistant gloves and which protective products best fit your needs.

Source: Superior Glove Works, Ltd. www.superiorglove.com