Gloves are one of the top-selling safety products to shops and technicians.
Durable gloves protect hands from bruised knuckles, scratched fingers, and are made to stand up to the rigors of daily use.
“We’ve seen gloves last two months with heavy use to six months -- and some lasting years,” says Cory Houston of Mechanix Wear (mechanix.com) maker of performance work gloves. But even durable gloves should be replaced at regular intervals.
Disposable gloves, on the other hand (forgive the pun), are a barrier. They’re worn to protect the user from additives, solvents, paints or other harsh chemicals, says Chris Mrosla, Business Development Manager at Adenna (adenna.com) maker of disposable gloves.
Think of gloves as tools for your hands.
“Fit is critical and goes into the design of every glove from the materials used to way they are constructed,” says Houston of his product line.
“Too tight of glove will fatigue your hand,” says Mrosla. “Having the proper size makes a huge difference. Especially for these guys who have the gloves on for extended periods of time … a lot of people don’t take that into consideration.”
There’s not a one-glove-fits all disposable glove -- neither in size or material. Vinyl, lacks the strength, and chemical/puncture resistant for shop use. Latex isn’t a choice for people with latex sensitivity. (OSHA requires an available latex alternative, say Mrosla). Black Nitrile, the most popular disposable glove in repair and body shops according to Adenna, holds up well to most shop conditions.
“It’s all about the having the right amount of protection and durability for the job,” says Houston of a technician’s decision of what durable glove to choose.
Some shops buy disposable gloves for the shop, others ask techs to buy their own, says Mrosla. Buying their own gloves allows the technician to choose the size, color, material, and thickness.
No matter the glove, a few minutes discussing construction, materials and fit with a new customer can be the difference between a satisfied customer one that doesn’t love his gloves.
