Hand injuries are among the most common workplace injuries — cuts, lacerations, chemical burns, and crush injuries collectively send hundreds of thousands of workers to emergency rooms every year. Many of those injuries happen to workers who were wearing gloves — the wrong gloves. A nitrile glove in a solvent environment, a cut-resistant glove that doesn't match the cut severity, a leather glove used for electrical work — each creates a false sense of protection that can be worse than no glove at all.
OSHA's standard (29 CFR 1910.138) requires that gloves be selected based on the performance characteristics of the glove relative to the task — meaning the hazard assessment has to drive the selection, not habit or what's on the shelf.
Cut and Abrasion Hazards
Cut-resistant gloves are rated under ANSI/ISEA 105, which uses a nine-level scale based on the force required to cut through the glove material at a standardized cut length. The scale runs from A1 (lowest cut resistance) through A9 (highest).
| ANSI Cut Level | Cut Resistance (grams) | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 200–499 g | Light assembly, packaging, general handling |
| A2 | 500–999 g | Sheet metal handling, light fabrication |
| A3 | 1,000–1,499 g | Stamping, glass handling, food processing |
| A4 | 1,500–2,199 g | Metal fabrication, automotive parts handling |
| A5 | 2,200–2,999 g | Sharp metal parts, wire handling |
| A6 | 3,000–3,999 g | Slaughterhouse, heavy metal fabrication |
| A7–A9 | 4,000+ g | Chainsaw-adjacent work, high-risk cutting operations |
The right cut level is determined by the blade profile and the force applied during the task — not just what materials are being handled. A light-duty task with a very sharp blade may warrant a higher cut level than a forceful task with a blunter edge. When the hazard assessment is ambiguous, err toward a higher cut level, keeping in mind that higher cut resistance often trades off against dexterity.
Chemical Hazards
Chemical glove selection requires matching the glove material to the specific chemical — not to a general hazard category like "solvents" or "acids." The same chemical class can degrade different glove materials at very different rates, and mixtures can accelerate degradation beyond what either component would cause alone.
The starting point is always the Safety Data Sheet for the specific chemical. SDS Section 8 (Exposure Controls/Personal Protection) will specify recommended glove material. When the SDS is vague, consult the glove manufacturer's chemical resistance charts — most publish them online.
Common glove materials and their typical chemical resistance
| Material | Good Against | Poor Against |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrile | Oils, fuels, many acids, some solvents | Ketones, esters, some chlorinated solvents |
| Neoprene | Acids, bases, alcohols, fuels | Aromatic and chlorinated solvents |
| Butyl rubber | Ketones, esters, alcohols, highly polar solvents | Fuels, aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons |
| Natural rubber (latex) | Bases, mild acids, alcohols | Oils, fuels, many organic solvents; latex allergy risk |
| PVC (vinyl) | Acids, bases, fats, oils | Most organic solvents |
| Viton (fluoroelastomer) | Chlorinated solvents, aromatic solvents, strong acids | Ketones, esters, amines |
Breakthrough time and degradation
Two properties matter for chemical gloves beyond material compatibility: breakthrough time (how long before the chemical permeates through the glove material) and degradation (how the glove's physical integrity changes on contact with the chemical). A glove may show no visual degradation while the chemical has already permeated through to the skin side. Breakthrough time data — measured in minutes — should be available from the manufacturer for each chemical-material combination.
For tasks involving chemicals with short breakthrough times, gloves must be changed before breakthrough occurs — not just when they look damaged. Establish a change frequency based on the breakthrough data, not visual inspection alone.
Glove thickness
Thicker gloves generally provide longer breakthrough times but reduce tactile sensitivity. For tasks requiring precision or tool use, thinner gloves with more frequent changes may be preferable to thick gloves that reduce dexterity and lead to removed gloves partway through a task.
Electrical Hazards
Electrical work requires rubber insulating gloves rated for the specific voltage — not leather work gloves, not general-purpose rubber gloves, not nitrile chemical gloves. Rubber insulating gloves are tested to ASTM D120 and classified by voltage rating:
| Class | Maximum Use Voltage (AC) | Proof Test Voltage |
|---|---|---|
| Class 00 | 500 V | 2,500 V |
| Class 0 | 1,000 V | 5,000 V |
| Class 1 | 7,500 V | 10,000 V |
| Class 2 | 17,000 V | 20,000 V |
| Class 3 | 26,500 V | 30,000 V |
| Class 4 | 36,000 V | 40,000 V |
Rubber insulating gloves must be visually inspected and air-inflated before each use to check for cuts, punctures, or ozone deterioration. They must be tested by an accredited laboratory every 6 months. The test date is stamped on the glove cuff — gloves with expired test dates must not be used for electrical work.
Leather protector gloves are worn over rubber insulating gloves to protect the rubber from cuts and punctures during work. The leather protector does not provide electrical insulation on its own — both layers are required.
Heat and Flame Hazards
Heat protection gloves vary significantly based on whether the hazard is radiant heat, contact heat, molten metal splash, or open flame. The right selection depends on the specific exposure.
- Contact heat (hot surfaces): Leather or aluminized gloves rated for the surface temperature. Check the manufacturer's contact heat rating — expressed as the temperature and duration the glove can withstand. Oven mitts rated for 300°F are not appropriate for surfaces at 600°F.
- Radiant heat (foundry, furnace work): Aluminized gloves reflect radiant energy. For sustained high-radiant-heat environments, water-cooled or phase-change cooling gloves may be appropriate.
- Molten metal splash (welding, casting): Leather welding gloves designed to repel spatter without catching fire. The glove should allow quick removal if molten material lands on it — gauntlet-style cuffs that can be shaken off quickly are preferred over tight-fitting styles.
- Arc flash: Arc-rated gloves rated in cal/cm² appropriate to the incident energy level. These are distinct from standard leather welding gloves. See our electrical contractor guide for arc PPE selection.
Vibration Hazards
Anti-vibration gloves are intended to reduce hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposure from power tools — grinders, chippers, jackhammers. The evidence on their effectiveness is mixed. OSHA does not have a specific vibration exposure standard, but HAV is addressed under the General Duty Clause when exposures are recognized and likely to cause harm (vibration white finger, carpal tunnel syndrome).
Anti-vibration gloves can provide modest reduction in vibration transmission, but they are not a substitute for limiting daily vibration exposure through tool selection, vibration-dampening tool handles, and work rotation. A glove that meets ISO 10819 has demonstrated vibration attenuation in standardized testing — but real-world attenuation varies by tool and grip.
Cold Hazards
Cold protection gloves must balance insulation against dexterity. For work involving both cold exposure and fine motor tasks, layering thin thermal liners under work gloves is often more effective than a single thick insulated glove. Waterproofing matters when hands will be wet — a soaked insulating glove loses most of its thermal protection.
For extreme cold (below -20°F), mittens provide significantly better insulation than fingered gloves — but eliminate fine motor capability. Work that requires individual finger dexterity in extreme cold generally requires warming breaks rather than a glove solution.
OSHA's Requirements for Glove Programs
Under 29 CFR 1910.138, employers must:
- Select gloves based on the performance characteristics relative to the tasks and conditions of use
- Provide selected gloves to workers at no cost (with limited exceptions for non-specialty gloves workers are allowed to wear off the job)
- Train workers on when gloves are necessary, what type, how to properly put on and remove gloves without contaminating skin, how to inspect gloves for damage, and when to replace them
- Document the training
The glove selection decision must be part of the written PPE hazard assessment. Simply noting "gloves required" without specifying the type is not adequate — the assessment should indicate the specific hazard, the glove material or rating required, and the basis for the selection.
Removing Gloves Without Self-Contaminating
For chemical gloves, the removal technique matters. The outside of a glove used with hazardous chemicals is contaminated — touching the outside with bare skin during removal defeats the purpose. The standard doffing technique: grasp the outside of one glove at the wrist, peel it off turning it inside out, hold it in the still-gloved hand, then slide two fingers of the bare hand inside the cuff of the remaining glove and peel it off from the inside. Neither hand touches the contaminated outer surface.
This technique should be part of glove training for any chemical handling task — it's a specific skill that workers need to practice, not just be told about.