Posted February 22, 2024
One of the key contributing factors in many electrical safety incidents is not wearing electrical insulated gloves. Usually an investigation will reveal one of three reasons behind the lack of gloves
1.I thought it was dead
2. I’ve done it a million times / it won’t happen to me
3. They are uncomfortable and sweaty
Number #1 is a lockout/tag out issue, a topic for another day.
#2 is a culture issue that is too deep for a short article like this, although we will address it in a future video series.
So, let’s take a moment to specifically address #3, as it is such a simple fix.
Yes, latex rubber does not breathe well. Yes, latex rubber can be hot in switchboards on a summer day. No one would disagree with this, but what most don’t realise, is that there is a solution.
Cotton Inner Gloves, and Glove Talc, whilst not being a fix-all, provide a quantum leap in improved comfort, reduced sweat and general increased wear ability of rubber insulated gloves. Cotton absorbs sweat, as does talc. It also reduces direct skin-to-rubber contact, avoiding that ‘sticky’ feeling.
For a very low investment, comfort can go through the roof, and if that leads to increased compliance rates, that is a very sound investment. As an added bonus, insulated glove lifespan may even improve, as sweat can be corrosive over long periods. So the added cost of some cotton inner gloves and a bottle of talc, may even be outweighed by the extended lifespan of the much more costly rubber gloves.