When you work with your hands and need to protect them, gloves are not a fashion
statement. They are a necessity.
Next to barrier effectiveness, dexterity and comfort become key usage considerations. But, thin gloves have gained a bad reputation for being of low quality and prone to leaks and tears.
The contenders
Vinyl gloves are fragile by the very nature of the material. Poly VINYL Chloride (PVC) is a brittle plastic to which softening compounds are added to allow them to stretch a bit before they shatter.
Vinyl gloves are shown in leak testing to fail 12 – 61% of the time. Not only is this a poor solution, but it’s also toxic to both the user and the environment. Furthermore, those toxins can leach into food.
PVC is now banned or restricted in Canada, Spain, South Korea, and the Czech Republic as well as a growing number of U.S. cities.
The final blow is the list of chemicals a vinyl glove can work with is quite short.
Nitrile gloves are the popular higher quality/price point choice. These synthetic rubber gloves function better than vinyl for stretch, puncture and abrasion resistance, but they still have a limited range of chemical compatibility.
Their dominance in the medical exam category is due primarily to their higher resistance to punctures – despite their susceptibility to tearing, particularly when pulling on or off. The most common solution has been to purchase thicker glove protection, hoping that more bulk will hold up better.
But the correct answer is not in fortifying thickness but rather in changing the fortification material itself.
The next generation of gloves
After one tear too many, a dental professional came up with a proprietary formula for a thin tear-resistant disposable glove that outperforms thicker gloves and contains no toxic chemicals. This new glove also provides increased protection from common chemicals and germs without increasing the cost or affecting user sensitivity.
Independent lab tests prove these new food and cleaning disposable gloves are 10X more tear resistant than 4 mil nitrile, although they are just half the thickness.
The slightly thicker Protospheric Industrial glove (.05 mil) tested at 3X more tear resistant than the much thicker 8 mil nitrile material and 7X more resistant than 6 mil nitrile.
All Protospheric gloves are Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) leak tested, to within medical exam quality standards – an excellent barrier to common bacteria and viruses.
This makes the Protospheric glove an unrivaled choice for food service, basic care giving, auto maintenance, salons, painters, the list goes on.
These textured gloves stretch to the desired fit and have a silky feel that many find cooler and more comfortable.
Having a strong yet thin glove, you work with greater confidence and comfort. Not a small thing when safety and precision are called for.
Protospheric Stretch-Poly Disposable Gloves
References:
1. Journal of Food Protec4on, Vol. 73, No. 9, 2010, Pages 1762–1773
2. https://foodindustryexecu4ve.com/2018/01/vinyl-gloves-protec4on-poison/
3. Michaels B, Summary of Hand & Glove Surface Cross-Contaminaton Potental in Retail Deli, Food Processing & Service Environments Based on Surface Energy Studies, Eagle Protect PBC Report, 20177.
