When Should You Use Latex Gloves?

Disposable gloves are affordable and convenient. They provide protection and are used to keep sanitary standards in many industries. The type of glove used will be dictated by the tasks, hazards and procedures in each workplace. Today, gloves come in an array of materials and sizes suited to different situations.

Appropriate Applications of Latex Gloves

• Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) gloves offer the best barrier protection--by far--for moderate- to high-risk instances when exposure to blood or body fluids is a concern. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) standard precautions, issued in 1987, and the rise of HIV infections, have increased the use of NRL gloves in medical practice.

Hazards Associated with Latex Gloves

• NRL gloves should not be used, however, when working with solvent cleaners or oil-based substances because such chemicals can degrade and penetrate rubber.

  The use of powdered latex gloves has been implicated in many cases of latex allergy in patients and caregivers. During surgery, the powder can become attracted to plastic materials used in some procedures, leading to adhesion and other problems. The powder can also absorb bacteria that cause infections.

How Nitrile Gloves Compare to Latex Gloves

• Nitrile is a popular type of disposable glove that offers protection from cleaning and oil-based chemicals as well as blood and body fluids. The risk of allergy is not eliminated, however, because nitrile is manufactured by the use of rubber processing chemicals that can cause severe skin rashes. Fortunately, such rashes are not life threatening. Recently, manufacturers have made progress in the development of nitrile without using harmful chemical accelerators, so look for new allergy-free products.

How Vinyl Gloves Compare to Latex and Nitrile Gloves

• Vinyl gloves are not as stretchy and flexible as NRL or nitrile gloves, so they are not suitable to tasks that require great dexterity. Also, they break down easily and offer poor protection against blood-borne pathogens. Although they do not contain rubber proteins or accelerators, studies have shown repeated failure of vinyl after only a short time of use. Vinyl offers little or no protection against HIV exposure.

Summary

• The choice of disposable gloves depends on the task and need for protection, as well as the individual needs of workers. The risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens must be weighed against the risk of serious allergic reactions. The use of powder in disposable gloves is fast becoming obsolete, and new developments in synthetic materials offer hope that ideal disposable gloves for all applications will soon be available.