Abstract
Anyone seeking to control the risks from vibration transmitted to the hands and arms may contemplate the use of anti-vibration gloves. To make an informed decision about any type of personal protective equipment, it is necessary to have performance data that allow the degree of protection to be estimated. The information provided with an anti-vibration glove may not be easy to understand without some background knowledge of how gloves are tested and does not provide any clear route for estimating likely protection. Some of the factors that influence the potential efficacy of an anti-vibration glove include how risks from hand–arm vibration exposure are assessed, how the standard test for a glove is carried out, the frequency range and direction of the vibration for which protection is sought, how much hand contact force or pressure is applied and the physical limitations due to glove material and construction. This paper reviews some of the background issues that are useful for potential purchasers of anti-vibration gloves. Ultimately, anti-vibration gloves cannot be relied on to provide sufficient and consistent protection to the wearer and before their use is contemplated all other available means of vibration control ought first to be implemented.
Highlights
The connection between use of vibrating power tools and the associated health effects referred to as hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) has been known for around a century
Health effects associated with power tool use are still commonly reported and there are hundreds of new cases reported every year in the UK [1]
This paper considers the issues that surround the selection and use of anti-vibration gloves as protective equipment (PPE) for hand–arm vibration
Summary
The connection between use of vibrating power tools and the associated health effects referred to as hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) has been known for around a century. Health effects associated with power tool use are still commonly reported and there are hundreds of new cases reported every year in the UK [1]. Part six of the guidance contains technical information on anti-vibration gloves and explains the main points to be considered very succinctly. The guidance concludes that employers should not assume that anti-vibration gloves reduce vibration exposures unless specific data are available for the particular combination of glove and tool used. To understand the technical considerations relating to the prospective use of anti-vibration gloves, it is necessary to know how exposure to hand–arm vibration is assessed according to current international standards and how a
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