Glove Intelligent Assistant
02.21.2023
SW gloves are of the highest quality and that is because SW prioritizes the consumer experience. Our products and the technologies developed by our research and development team are based on quality of life improvements for our consumers in their workplace environments, showing that SW prioritizes the comfort and protection of our consumers. For example, SW products are tested against common chemicals that multiple industries work with. What are some of these common chemicals and which industry uses them? To give a brief overview: sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, petroleum, and ammonium hydroxide. Our gloves are measured using the ASTM F739-12 standard for average permeation breakthrough times to ensure utmost protection for our consumers.
Sulphuric acid is the number one produced chemical across the entire world (ACS 2022). It is used in a wide range of industries and can be found in anything from fertilizers to detergents, even as a reactant for various procedures in manufacturing mechanical or plastic products. It is a common chemical used in the medical field, automobile production, and even petroleum refining.
Phosphoric acid is another commonly used chemical in various industries. This spans from the construction industry, agricultural industry, common household detergents, the food industry, and also the medical field. Phosphoric acid is used to treat water and metals, but also to remove mineral deposits in the construction industry. It’s used as a food additive, in cleansing products, and in the production of fertilizer.
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, is used in various industries as well. It’s used to produce household cleaning necessities like soap, drain and oven cleaners. Sodium hydroxide is necessary for laundering, bleaching, and softening cotton fabrics. Other uses would be the manufacturing of paper, dyes, petroleum products, and even explosives.
Petroleum, which consists of many liquid hydrocarbon gasses, is used in various products used by consumers daily. Petroleum products consist of transportation fuels, oils for heating, oils to power electricity generators, along with asphalt and road oils. They are also ingredients in various household products; such as, perfume, hair dye, shampoo, hand lotion, toothpaste, various cosmetics, nylon, insecticides, and pesticides. Just like the previous chemicals, petroleum touches many different sectors of our daily lives.
Lastly, ammonium hydroxide is another common chemical used in various industries. It is used in various products like household cleaners, and fertilizers. Ammonium hydroxide is also used in the manufacturing of rubber, textiles, and medication. It can also be found as a common refrigerant.
These are just some of the common chemicals that SW gloves are tested against, but the entire list of chemicals our products have been tested against are always listed on the product page. These chemicals can all be caustic in contact with skin or orifices, which require strict testing to verify the quality of the personal protective equipment (PPE) being used. While there are extensive standardized tests that SW gloves follow through with, what if there is a new issue that appears in the marketplace? How does SW deal with modern issues within the industry and the correlation of such problems with the future manufacturing of their products? The answer lies in the importance of CAPA and white papers. CAPA, or otherwise known as Corrective and Preventive Actions, is the list of procedures used to collect information and analyze the collected information or investigate the information about a product’s quality issues and to take the appropriate, but also preventative actions to prevent the situation from occurring again. A white paper can help summarize the issue that instigated the company into initiating CAPA procedures and can help explain the solution more in depth.
When SW was developing the MegaMan glove series, the company first approached a common issue within the workplace environment and detailed their proper CAPA procedures within a white paper on the dilemma. Traditional single use gloves could provide a protective barrier from contact with hazardous materials, chemicals, and other liquids, but they also would create an occlusive environment between the glove and hand, which lead to discomfort to the worker in the workplace along with skin irritation. The solution they proposed being MegaMan, a superior single use nitrile glove that incorporated SW’s unique DriTek moisture-wicking technology; which, promotes skin health by reducing the risk of developing potentially serious conditions such as contact dermatitis. The proposed absorbent lining would also bring greater comfort to workers whose job mandates the wearing of single use gloves in demanding light to medium duty applications. And, with better chemical splash protection against solvents, oils, and cutting fluids, MegaMan gloves would be ideal for certain jobs that expose workers to harmful chemicals, and where increased tactility and dexterity are needed. MegaMan gloves would also provide durability previously unavailable in a single use glove. In addition to wicking moisture from the skin, the absorbent interior lining provides added durability, enhancing barrier protection and user safety. The success of MegaMan as a product – along with our various other glove series – and SW as a company are inherently connected to strict adherence to CAPA principles. Only by investigating current issues within the industry, and those that affect the daily use of gloves by consumers, while providing tangible solutions, can truly high quality products be made. SW continues to use these scientific, fact-finding principles to strive forward in innovating the industry.