All in hand

New high-dexterity gloves help workers stay safe and productive.

by Paul Markgraff

A glove is a glove is a glove, right? Not anymore. Over the last 10 years, work gloves have evolved. What was once considered a necessary evil on the jobsite has turned into a professional tool.

Using a variety of materials, glove manufacturers have transformed loose-fitting, unoriginal work gloves into modern tools designed to increase safety and productivity. Plus, they just look cool.

The transformation began a decade ago with the first high-dexterity work gloves, created for workers who wanted to wear their gloves for more than just the most dangerous work. Today, application-specific work gloves have flooded the market.

Even with this glut of gloves, many workers have yet to comprehend the value high-dexterity work gloves have brought to construction.

“I think there are many workers out there who still don’t know about high-dexterity work gloves,” says Eric Jaeger, vice president of research and development for Ironclad. “I see many people on jobsites who are still using old-school gloves. I think most know these new gloves exist, but they don’t get it yet.”

So it’s time for a little education.

Get a grip
Major differences exist between the gloves of today and the gloves of yesteryear. The radical departure is most evident in materials, application, durability, style and cost. The main difference is built right into the name of the glove: high-dexterity.

The old-school brown jersey, cloth and leather gloves are still used today when workers know they’re in danger of getting cut or tearing up their hands, but as soon as the task is completed, workers generally take them off.

“The problem with that is when guys cut their hands, get abrasions or blisters, is when they are not wearing any gloves,” says Jaeger. “They take them off because they have to take them off. You can’t swing a hammer with those gloves on. You can only do some very basic manual lift-and-place labor.”

Workers can do virtually any task wearing high-dexterity gloves. They can do those things that used to require glove removal.

“With high-dexterity gloves, you can wear them 100 percent of the time,” says Jaeger. “You can wear them from the time you start to the time you finish and you don’t have to take them off. You are not going to cut your hand, get an abrasion, get blisters or any of those things that happen when you’re using your bare hands.”

This is especially important on the jobsite, because there are literally hundreds of different tasks workers must perform throughout the day. Needing to don and doff their gloves throughout the day, some workers say “forget” it and don’t wear their gloves. Subsequently, their hands get torn up. For people who work for a living with their hands, there is no greater misfortune than getting injured. This is exactly the type of situation high-dexterity gloves are designed to help prevent.

Greater than its parts
At the same time, all of the types of materials used in gloves can be confusing. The following list of common materials used in these new gloves along with their properties may help clear up some of that confusion.

>> Kevlar is an Aramid fiber with five times the strength of steel. Popularized by its use in bulletproof vests, Kevlar’s properties in gloves include high resistance to abrasion, puncture and heat. Because of its cost, Kevlar is generally woven with other fibers. It is not bulletproof in gloves. It is susceptible to breakdown from ultraviolet light, which is why it generally has a coating. It is usually used in the “saddle” between the thumb and forefinger.

>> Neoprene is an extremely versatile synthetic rubber designed by DuPont more than 75 years ago. It resists degradation from the sun and weather. It performs well when in contact with oil or other chemicals and resists damage due to twisting and flexing. Neoprene remains useful over a wide temperature range.

>> PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is most familiar to contractors when it is used in pipes. However, PVC is extremely versatile. It provides good abrasion resistance and its surface can be textured to allow for better grip.

>> Polyurethane offers the elasticity of rubber with the toughness and durability of metal. Its properties are like PVC, although polyurethane tends to be a little more flexible. It can be used for different purposes, including grip where durability isn’t the dominant requirement.

>> Synthetic leathers are likely the most important advent in high-dexterity gloves. They provide the flexibility, grip, feel and durability of real leather. However, unlike real leather, synthetics do not crack and disintegrate when they lose their natural oils, and synthetics are washable.

>> Molded rubber is used all over high-dexterity gloves for grip and protection. Many gloves have molded rubber knuckle protectors. This material is also important to prevent abrasions and cuts.

“All of these materials lend themselves to the durability of high-dexterity gloves,” says Max Robuck with Custom LeatherCraft. “You can move your fingers easier. They fit snugger. You can grip things, touch things and get a much better feel and tactile grip than you can with a pair of thick leather gloves.”

The right tool for the job
The new materials manufacturers use to make high-dexterity gloves also created a new market for application-specific gloves. If you’ve got a job to do, chances are manufacturers have designed a glove specifically for that job.

Roll top, seamless fingertips make it easier to pick up tiny, elusive objects such as fasteners. Air vents keep the sweltering heat from soaking your hands in sweat. Loose gauntlets allow for air to flow within the glove. Unique palm configurations allow workers to grip certain tools tighter. Terry cloth thumb-backs help workers wipe stinging sweat away from their eyes. Gel and silicone keep the grips comfortable. Finger cut-offs allow workers to continue to wear gloves even when they need their fingers free. High visibility patches help keep workers safe on busy jobsites.

Ergodyne even produces vibration-reducing gloves designed to cut exposure to constant vibration. For workers who use jackhammers, grinders, sanders, chippers or metal-cutting saws, exposure to vibration can cause hand and arm vibration syndrome or “white finger disease.”

“Like hearing loss, hand and arm vibration syndrome is permanent,” says Tom Votel, president and CEO of Ergodyne. “Once you have this problem, you do not gain back the feeling in your hands. NIOSH estimates that eight percent of U.S. workers are exposed to vibration for more than four hours a day. It’s a serious issue.”

The point is: High-dexterity gloves aren’t just keeping hands safe, they’re keeping workers working and subsequently helping lower workers’ compensation costs.

Image is everything
Let’s face it. They also look really cool. The new high-dexterity gloves have gone through a transition similar to that of safety glasses. Twenty years ago, everyone who wore safety glasses looked like a dork, says Votel, like Buddy Holly. Then, Oakley and Uvex started turning them into fashion accessories. Sports-style glasses entered the work world. Companies also began using different polymers in the glasses. They didn’t scratch as easily or break as readily. They became very sleek and lightweight. Today, there are hundreds of varieties of cool-looking safety glasses.

“What’s happened in the glove world is gloves were lumbering along in the same old frumpy way,” says Votel. “Then people from the sporting goods industry – where they had all kinds of specialty ski gloves for cold weather, gloves for racing – started to look into the industrial arena. Then, 10 years ago, several companies began developing whole lines of gloves with special features. That’s where we’re at.”

Votel says Ergodyne wants to bring the extreme sports sensibility into the workplace in terms of design. After all, workers and athletes need the same level of grip. “It’s really no different than someone on a half pipe,” he says.

There’s a heightened focus on fit and style, which Votel sees as a bit of generational thing.

“But baby boomers see these gloves and they also say, ‘Man, those look cool and I want them,’” Votel says.

So where’s the catch?

Dollar signs
Oh yeah, did we forget to mention they cost more? Some of the most high-end work gloves are now closing in on $50 a pair. Surely, workers won’t spend that kind of money on gloves.

Wrong. Workers are shelling out the cash for the same reasons they pay more for their hand tools, their power tools and their work wear. The higher cost for the new materials means these gloves last much longer than before.

On the whole, workers get a lot for their money, but Jaeger says consumers need to be aware of the pitfalls. He says there are many poorly made gloves that are either branded or sold inexpensively at mom-and-pop shops.

“The problem is, they don’t last,” he says. “That’s going to give high-dexterity gloves a bad name. That’s why it’s important for people to be aware that you might go into a big box and buy a pair for $10 and they might not last. There are more options at specialty shops and distributors that will last longer. They cost more, but most guys understand. They will buy a professional-quality drill over a consumer-quality drill because the professional drill will last longer.”

In the old days, gloves were used only for hand protection, and some gloves did a pretty lousy job at that. But with the new materials, styles and application types available from glove manufacturers, your hands have never felt so good.

Published in the September/October 2007 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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