Importance of Properly Fitted Gloves: Enhancing Comfort, Dexterity, and Safety in the Workplace

In the working environment, gloves are a daily necessity and an important means of personal protective equipment. However, most people overlook the importance of properly fitted gloves. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 23% of all workplace related injuries involve injuries of the hand and fingers. In order to prevent workplace related injuries, it’s important not only to wear gloves but properly fitted ones.

Improperly fitted gloves lead to limited flexibility and can make motor movements more difficult. Workers then have to invest more energy and effort when performing tasks due to the lack of dexterity from wearing the improperly fitted glove. The repeated increased effort during long working hours can lead to hand fatigue over time. Hand fatigue is the presence of pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hands. Hand fatigue puts workers at risk of accidents in the workplace and can lead to personal health issues. Prolonged hand fatigue can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome or other musculoskeletal disorders.

 

Gloves should fit comfortably on the palm and full length to the fingertips. A properly fit and size glove should feel comfortably snug around one’s hands and with ample dexterity. The glove should not feel like it’s restricting movement of the hand. Workers should be able to move their fingers around and flex their hand without noticeable stretching of the material. The most consistent method is to find the right size for the width of your palm as well as the length of your fingers.

A glove that is too large will have noticeable wrinkles around the palm. The fingertips will not reach the ends of the glove tips, leaving a sizable amount of material between the end of the glove to the wearer’s actual finger. There would usually be excess material bunched up at the wrist as well. When a glove is too small, there is usually some restriction of movement, and the glove material will have noticeable stretch. The glove material may even become slightly transparent near the areas of stretch. Typically, there is the most amount of stretch in the fingertips or wrist of the glove. The best solution to hand fatigue is to find properly fitted and comfortable gloves.

SW specializes in the specific needs that our customers are looking for with our various technologies. The comfort and hand health of our customers is our utmost priority which can be seen in our product lines:

• EnerGel is SW’s patented aloe vera lining coating. Our aloe vera lined gloves are significantly different from other brands and designed to produce the most effective moisturization for our customers’ skin. Polysaccharides (carbohydrate molecules) are the main active component of aloe vera gel for skin hydration but are often not small enough to fully pass through the skin’s outer layer. EnerGel technology converts the high molecular weight of Aloe Vera polysaccharides into specific lower weights aimed for skin penetration and hydration. Our technology has two times more skin moisturizing benefits than standard Aloe technology. SW’s patented EnerGel process allows polysaccharides to be absorbed, instead of just settling on the skin surface. This prevents the moisturizing elements (polysaccharides) from being washed away compared to regular lotion moisturizers or other humectant aloe vera gels. Delivered deep into the skin, EnerGel helps those predisposed to dry skin, contact dermatitis or eczema by assisting the skin’s healing process, soothing the skin, and reducing inflammation and irritation flare ups. Not only does our EnerGel technology benefit those with predisposed skin sensitivity, it can also offer comfort for those working long hours in workplace environments that necessitate wearing gloves.
• DriTek is SW’s patented technology for sweat management. It rapidly absorbs sweat to easily manage sweat for healthier hands, making for easy donning and doffing. Wetness in single use gloves is not only uncomfortable but it limits a user’s mobility, dexterity, and tactility. Not to mention it may further lead to other safety hazards, such as when workers forgo gloves due to irritability from hand sweat accumulation. It’s perfect for those who work long hours requiring manual labor.
• DryCore is our lint-free alternative to DriTek. They both contain a moisture-wicking flock-lined system. A flock-lined system means there is an inner cotton lining within the glove. The inner cotton lining serves to maintain an insulated, dry environment for drier, cooler, more comfortable hands.
• TracTek is SW’s Proprietary matrixed pattern that provides dramatic control in workplace environments. Designed for maximum surface-to-surface contact, providing enhanced grip in all conditions. TracTek’s performance grip technology reduces the amount of strain placed on your hands and increases your control in wet and oily environments. SW understands that different customers have different needs, which is why we specialize in glove customization as well. SW has our helping hand program where we design gloves for individuals who need specialized gloves due to motor disabilities. SW welcomes all different customers as they search for high quality hand protection. SW technology is verified by third party organizations such as the Skin Health Alliance (SHA), the FDA, and various standardization organizations like ASTM and ISO. Our customers can always trust the quality of SW products.