Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By Edward Deighan
FOLKS
CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ADVICE WITH REFERENCE TO GLOVES WHICH WOULD PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES FROM NEEDLE INJURIES ETC. WE TRANSPORT AND INJECT SLUDGE INTO THE GROUND AND THERE ARE TIMES WERE
THERE IS A RISK OF SOME ONE COMING INTO CONTACT WITH A NEEDLE. I HAVE TRIED MANY SUPPLIERS AND HAVE CHECKED THE INTERNET BUT BASICALLY I AM TOLD THAT NO GLOVE WILL GIVE 100% PROTECTION. THERE ARE VERY HEAVY DUTY ONES BUT THE GUYS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH. APPRECIATE IT IF SOMEONE CAN HELP ME. ED
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By FAH
Hi Ed
There are several gloves on the market designed specifically with "needle-stick" prevention or minimisation in mind.
However, you could do a lot worse than trying the gloves that firefighters use - they're pretty good multi-purpose [inc needle-stick], robust & allow considerable dexterity.
Frank Hallett
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Chris Packham
The only glove that I know of that is really proof against penetration by needles is the Stichstopp from KCL in Germany. However, even this glove does not protect the whole hand, only those parts that are most likely to be involved in needle stick injuries.
If you need information google KCL and their website should come up. The gloves are available in the U.K.
Chris
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ian Blenkharn
There are several glove manufactures that offer these gloves and all are reasonably good.
The protection is limited. Materials are tested mainly for cut resistance but fine needles can and do penetrate albeit rarely.
There are other problems. Most will make hands sweat badly, and will allow fluids in (though not out). Thus hand hygiene is essential if you are dealing with any potential biohazard.
Other serious problems include the extent of protection - most of these gloves are very short and barely cover the wrists. Gauntlets are available, and separate sleeve additions though the prices are high. Gloves will deteriorate quite quickly and should be replaced often so cost will be a real issue.
In use, gloves can be uncomfortable. Raised seams and internal stitching can cause skin damage that is a real risk if in a biohazard situation with permeable gloves. Gloves cannot be 'broken in' be wear - over time, wetting of the internal surfaces seems to stiffen the stititching and seams and interdigital abrasions are common.
Lastly, in the situation you describe, are hands the only target for stray needles? Do you also need trousers with ballistic panels, and boots with puncture resistant soles?
Ian Blenkharn
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By GaryC40
Unfortunately the glove you are looking doesn't exist at present. As other posters have indicated there are gloves on the market that offer excellent penetration protection from sharps, however the main problem is dexterity retention. I have been involved with hand protection at design, procurement and sales level and have to say that when it comes to direct penetration risk there just is not anything as yet on the market that offers dexterity and high levels of protection for users in high risk environments. Cut and heat resistance is altogether another field where several manufacturers offer excellent products,for example Showa (UK Globus) and polyco offer an excellent range of hand protection against chemical, abrasion, cut and so on whilst retaining dexterity. I'm afraid, however that at this time there is still a good reason why PPE remains the LAST line of defence against sharps. The technology just isn't quite there yet. Give it a few years and who knows!
GC
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Peter F
Ed,
there is a glove called Bio-pro which is a double vinyl glove that has a disinfectant in between the layers that cleans the needle to a certain percentage before it enters the skin. Maybe this coupled with one of the other gloves mentioned would give adequate protection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Chris Packham
With the Stichstopp glove I mentioned you will find that over the areas where the protection is provided a needle will bend and break before it penetrates. This glove was developed in Germany for those workers sorting refuse where needle stick injury was a serious problem.
I remain to be convinced about the concept of a disinfectant between two layers of glove. Disinfectants need time to work, and the time between the needle penetrating the outer and then the inner glove will be milliseconds. Will this provide adequate time to kill any micro-organisms on the needle?
Finally, we need to distinguish between gloves offering protection against physical and chemical hazards. The two require quite different approaches and where there is a combination of hazards, then almost always double gloving (with the chemical protection worn inside the physical protection) will be required.
Chris
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By A Campbell
Don't forget to educate the workforce, especially when issuing the gloves as they do not always give 100% protection.
So they also need to be aware of needle/sharps, blood born pathogens and what to do in the event of a needle stick injury... e.g. immediate action, reporting and follow up procedure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Stuart Hufton
I work in social housing and needles are a problem. The best gloves I have found for performance against dexterity are the Turtle skin ones. Not really designed for heavy manual work and (as with all of these type of gloves) bloody expensive at £50 a pair! They do perform very well at needle stick resistance and are comfortable enough for extended wear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Warren Fothergill
Personal Protective Equipment in the form of hand protection are manufactured to certain standards. In the case of needle-stick - this would be a mechanical hazard (though not connected to machinery)and the standard in question is EN388 : Mechanical Hazards; it is in fact a collective term for a range of 4 specific hazards:
Abrasion
Blade Cut
Tear
Puncture
That are encountered during the routine handling of materials. The higher the score the greater the protection.
On chosing a glove there is a symbol, which appears to be a hammer impacting on a surface with numbers under neath. Each number represents that gloves resistance performance rating against the relevant hazards (in the order quoted). The higher the figure the higher the protection.
Perhaps speak to your PPE supplier and ask for puncture resistant gloves with a 4 mark. Most of these type of gloves are a kevlar based and offer good dexterity too.
Happy to help.
Warren
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Renny Thomson
Edward,
go back to first principles and look at the system of work. Can the risk of contact with needles be engineered out? Is it a realistic risk? Has it happened before?
If the liquid sludge is transported inside a tank and discharged in a controlled manner with minimal risk of contact, this may eliminate the need for cumbersome expensive PPE (which of course should be the last resort). If there is a risk of contact with the sludge, what about other bio-hazard risks? Respiration of aerosol, eye contact, skin contact? Attack the problem at source.
PS Please DO NOT SHOUT!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.