Hygiene practices and barrier protection are two issues that can always be improved. For instance, disposable gloves are essential hand protection against cross-contamination. There are many different types of disposable gloves, some of which we will be examining.
History of Disposable Gloves
Back in 1889, Dr. William Stewart Halsted, one of Johns Hopkins Hospital‘s most outstanding surgeons at the time was known for his detail towards hygiene. He made the first surgical glove when his nurse and wife got rashes from the chemicals used to carry out day-to-day operations. When he noticed the rashes on her hands, he reached out to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to help develop rubber gloves that would fit over her hands.
By the early 1900s, all surgeons were wearing disposable gloves. The first of these gloves were manufactured in 1964 by Ansell Rubber Company. These gloves were sterilized utilizing the process of gamma irradiation and were disposed of after surgery. At this time, these gloves were the standard in the operating room, and many surgeons practiced double gloving acting as an extra layer of protection from punctures and to further reduce the chance of infections.
In 1992, OHSA, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, published some safety standards. This was in-line with the increased awareness about viruses for workers. This standard required many employers to provide workers with personal protective equipment (PPE), including Donning and Doffing of disposable gloves in different applications.
Essential PPE: Choosing the Right Disposable Gloves
Below we have listed various glove types with its pros and cons attributes. You should consider many factors when it comes to choosing the right glove for your tasks. What is always required before choosing a pair of gloves is necessary safety procedures for all the workers and service providers.
| Material | Pros | Cons | Applications |
| Nitrile | The best all-around disposable gloves Effective barrier protection Puncture, tear, abrasion, and chemical resistant Great tensile strength, dexterity, and hand fit and comfort Latex free Has the most performance and protections options |
Higher cost depending on protection options Less tensile strength and hand fit than latex |
Healthcare Dental Lab Food Industrial / safety Chemical Janitorial Automotive General purpose |
| Latex | The original disposables gloves Excellent tensile strength, dexterity, and elasticity Puncture, tear, and abrasion resistant Excellent hand fit and comfort Dependable barrier protection Various mil thicknesses |
Skin allergies and reactions Used in limited markets Not allowed to certain markets: healthcare, food, etc. Rips under certain chemicals |
Dental Lab Janitorial Automotive Industrial / safety General Purpose |
| Vinyl | Cost effective barrier protection Best for light duty tasks Latex Free |
Reliability, durability and performance does not match against nitrile or latex Loose hand and cuff fit Very limited tensile stretch and elasticity Smooth texture, limited grip |
Food Janitorial General purpose |
| Nitro-V | Improved tensile strength and elasticity against standard vinyl gloves Improved puncture, tear, and abrasion resistance against vinyl gloves Tighter hand fit than vinyl gloves Latex Free Cost effective barrier protection Best for light duty tasks |
Reliability, durability and protection does not match nitrile and latex Limited tensile stretch and elasticity Smooth texture, limited grip |
Healthcare (Exam Grade Only – Coming Soon) Food Janitorial General purpose Light duty industrial |
| Chloroprene | Has all the performance and protection of latex gloves without skin allegories and reactions Excellent tensile strength, dexterity, and elasticity Puncture, tear, and abrasion resistant Excellent hand fit and comfort Dependable barrier protection |
Most expensive option among all disposable gloves Limited production Breaks down under certain chemicals |
Dental Lab Janitorial Automotive Industrial / safety General purpose |
| Polyethylene | Cost effective light duty alternative Quick donning and duffing Textured for grip Loose fit |
Low barrier protection Easily punctured and torn |
Food Light duty tasks |
| CPE | Cost effective light duty alternative Improved performance over standard poly gloves Embossed texture Fitted sizes Quick donning and duffing |
Low barrier protection Easily punctured and torn Loose cuff |
Food Light duty tasks |
| TPE | Cost effective light duty alternative Improved glove stretch and dexterity over standard poly gloves Microtextured Fitted sizes Quick donning and doffing |
Low barrier protection Easily punctured and torn Loose cuff |
Food Light duty tasks |
Liberty Glove and Safety and New Product Offering: Nitro-V™
Today, disposable gloves are not only used in a medical environment but across different industrial applications. While several brands offer disposable gloves that have been certified for use, Liberty Glove and Safety (LGS) stands out from others as a complete head-to-toe safety expert.
As a brand, we are committed to providing safety solutions for our customers. Understanding the essential personal protective equipment (PPE) demand, we offer primary two lines:
BioSkin™ and DuraSkin™ disposable gloves.
Our BioSkin™ medical-grade disposable gloves are designed to have better tactile sensitivity than general-purpose gloves and are worn to protect workers from biological hazards and reduce the risk of contamination. This includes caregiving, beauty, tattoo services, etc. Having exam-grade gloves protects them from the possibility of being infected by blood borne pathogens. These gloves can be worn alone or can be worn as part of a two-glove system where gloves are doubled to provide additional protection. BioSkin™ medical-grade disposable gloves are certified to be used to pass the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) rating of 1.5, which indicates that these gloves are less likely to have pinholes and imperfections that can reduce durability and performance.
LGS also offers DuraSkin™ industrial-grade disposable gloves. Thinner mil thickness gloves offer higher dexterity and better touch sensitivity, while thicker mil thickness offers greater performance values in hand protection. Disposable gloves can be used to create a barrier between your hands and objects you are handling or keeping your hands clean, protecting it from the oils and dirt on your hands from transferring to the objects. DuraSkin™ industrial-grade disposable gloves can be worn in various applications when cleaning or performing maintenance tasks.
LGS is dedicated to moving safety forward even during these unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges to personal and work environments. This resulted in increased demand in disposable gloves and has caused a shortage in supply which is a great challenge for many PPE companies.
LGS now offers an additional PPE product as an alternative solution to disposable gloves shortage, called Nitro-V™.
Nitro-V™ are proprietary vinyl compound disposable gloves. These disposable gloves are stronger than standard vinyl while providing the dexterity and control needed in handling smaller objects. Nitro-V™ gloves are great for extended use in food industry and it is latex free. These gloves pose as a great alternative to the traditional disposable gloves as it is an essential addition for disposable gloves during this time.
Our Commitment to You
Liberty Glove and Safety (LGS) is committed to providing PPE solutions. Our team has continued to work diligently to serve our customers with excellence. We understand during these unprecedented times essential PPE is more critical than ever. Count on Liberty Glove and Safety to be your complete head-to-toe safety expert.
As a leader in PPE, LGS offers a full range of high-quality gloves. Please call our sales professionals at 800-327-8333 and ask about our new Nitro-V™ proprietary vinyl compound disposable gloves today.
