Chemical-Resistant Gloves
Corrosive chemicals such as acids and bases are commonly used in a lot of industrial applications. Provide your workers who have to handle these types of chemicals with chemical-resistant work gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves are formulated to resist chemical degradation thereby protecting your workers hands. These work gloves can be made from nitrile, latex, neoprene, vinyl, PVC or rubber. Be sure to perform a hazard assessment as gloves made from different materials have different properties and chemical resistances.
Always remember that not all chemical-resistant gloves are created equal. Chemical-resistant gloves are manufactured from a number of materials, each with resistance more suitable to a certain type of chemical. Here are some common glove materials and some chemicals these are best suited for:
Latex - animal fats, detergents, alcohols, salts, caustics and weak acids
Nitrile - petrochemicals, oils, most acids and fuels
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - grease, oils and petrochemicals
Neoprene - acids, caustics, greases, solvents and oils
Rubber - alcohols, dilute water solutions
Butyl - corrosive acids, esters, ketones and gases