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What Hazards Can Padded Cloth Gloves Protect Your Hands From?

Padded cloth gloves are designed to protect your hands against a number of hazards that might crop up in a work environment, such as on a construction site or in a home workshop. Many other hazards exist, and padded cloth gloves won't protect against extreme heat or chemicals, but when facing such hazards, a little research helps you purchase more appropriate handwear.

  1. Sharp Edges

    • Padded cloth gloves give adequate protection against sharp edges and slivers which might otherwise cut or lacerate your hand. The padded material is thick enough to sufficiently prevent most edges from marking the hand, as noted on the Personal Protective Equipment information issued by the Occupational Health & Safety Administration.

    Cycling Hazards

    • Padded cloth gloves give multiple types of protection to cyclists. First, the padded cloth material absorbs sweat, which the cyclist simply wipes from her eyes to prevent it from obstructing her vision, which could be dangerous. These gloves also allow the cyclist a more comfortable grip on her handlebars, which is useful in some situations when staying on the bike may be difficult. Additionally, the cyclist might use the gloves while clearing dirt from her tires, thus preventing the build-up of debris which could obstruct the tire's proper operation.

    Vibration

    • A major threat to industry workers who use powerful hand tools is hand-arm vibration, where the operation of such tools causes problems with nerves and blood vessels in the limbs, potentially leading to long-term illness. Padded cloth gloves can be purchased with anti-vibration protection, which lessens the risk of hand-arm damage when worn to operate machinery. However, as the Health and Safety Executive website notes, these anti-vibration gloves shouldn't be relied on to provide complete protection.

    Cold

    • Padded cloth gloves warm the hands. This keeps the blood circulating around the body, which reduces the risk of finger blanching, where fingers change color in reaction to a restricted blood supply. Padded cloth gloves are useful for individuals in a cold work environment.

    Dirt

    • Padded cloth gloves are useful in keeping dirt away from the skin. Dirt, as noted on the About Kids Health website, can contain potentially harmful chemicals or bacteria, especially in the topsoil of the earth. If this dirt gets on an individual's hand, it could be transferred to the mouth, where it could enter the body and do harm.

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