Posted By andymak I would query why gloves are used at all, surely the aim of object handling is so the textures and tactile properties of what is being handled can be fully experienced, sounds a bit conkers bonkers to me! If they must use gloves why not non-latex such as are used in the catering industry.

Posted By Graham Bullough Mention of pupils handling objects reminds me of an inspection visit I paid during my HSE days to a posh boarding school establishment in a rural setting. When I asked about the purpose of a large fridge seen in the science department, it was opened to reveal inside a variety of dead animals and birds in plastic bags destined to be preserved and stuffed by members of the school taxidermy club! It was a somewhat unusual revelation and prompted a discussion about precautions regarding infections and work with preserving chemicals. After some 25 years I can’t recall the detail but guess that the information given to me seemed okay and not greatly different from precautions for embalmers employed by funeral directors. If the school also had a cadet corps or rifle club perhaps, just perhaps, it might have been able to assist the taxidermy club to acquire creatures. However, I decided not to ask about this or even the possibility that some pupils might have the option of preserving deceased family pets for posterity. Forum users with a quirky sense of humour may wish to imagine the answers given to relatives and friends after asking club members what they enjoyed doing in their spare time at school!

Posted By Toe Chris, Why do the HSE not recognise these studies? I'm with you on this one Chris and think there is a lot of scaremongering about the use of latex. Dar1, Latex gloves are good at controlling infection as you have stated, they are also good at giving dexterity to the users, and you will find that because of this they are widely used, for example maintenance workers and vehicle mechanics use them all the time.

Posted By Chris Packham Toe Latex is actually not the right material for vehicle mechanics. The oils, fuels, brake fluids, etc. will quickly permeate NRL gloves, particularly the thin, single-use gloves, where, for example, petrol will permeate in seconds. Nitrile is somewhat better, but even the thin nitrile gloves will not protect against petrol for very long. Selection of the correct glove is much more complicated than many realise, since factors such as permeation, any concomittant degradation, temperature, flexing, abrasion, etc. must all be accounted for. Chris

Posted By Chris Packham Dave I agree with your comment about people understanding about protection. In an occupational setting it is actually quite usual to find that even in a large employer the selection and use of gloves is haphazard, with no really objective system which reflects the complexity of this aspect of health and safety. I have frequently found glove recommendations from suppliers that do not stand up to objective examination. Chris

Posted By Della Pearlman I would agree with Graham that cotton gloves might be preferable, both from the preservation point of view, and from the allergy issue - especially if staff don't know who is likely to be allergic. From my own experience, my daughter had an anaphaletic shock in hospital from the use of blue nitrile gloves - I don't know who was more shocked, the patient or the staff! (We hadn't known about that allergy and she is OK with latex.)

Posted By Della Pearlman No problem - I will email you direct, rather than bore people with medical details.