HAND PROTECTION.

Hand protection can be job-rated or general purpose. Job-rated handwear is designed to fit hazards peculiar to a certain operation. An example would be metal mesh gloves for cutting and carving jobs in the slaughter industry. General-purpose refers to gloves that protect against a multiplicity of hazards. Most often, a hand-protection program will involve personal protection in the form of gloves. However, personal protection is the last line of defense in such a program. First, the engineering approach should be tried. That is, freedom from hazard to the worker should be a prime consideration in ordering new equipment or changing to a new process or material. The article reviews various aspects of this approach, as well as types of gloves, glve materials and applications to fit the protective device to the particular job demand.