April 7 of each year marks the celebration of World Health Day. On this day, countries conduct various activities to advocate for everyone's right to access quality health services, education, and information, as well as the right to safe drinking water, safe working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination.

This year, the theme of World Health Day is "My Health, My Right". How can this theme be implemented in the workplace environment? Next, let's explore the important role of wearing gloves as a professional right in the occupational health of workers.

Glove Wearing: Rights and Responsibilities of Employees

For certain occupations, wearing gloves is both a fundamental right and a responsibility of employees.
Research reports indicate that workers are reluctant to wear gloves when they interfere with work efficiency. For instance, gloves with exceptionally high protective properties may reduce work efficiency, while gloves that are too large or too small can affect both work efficiency and comfort. These issues may lead to employees' reluctance to wear gloves.
Employees have the right to request that employers provide gloves that comply with safety standards and to replace them promptly when they are damaged or contaminated. This is their basic right to ensure they are protected from occupational hazards. Simultaneously, as part of their obligation, employees should also correctly wear and use gloves. This is not only a form of protection for their health and safety but also a contribution to the safe and efficient production of the enterprise.

In this context, the selection of glove size and protective performance is particularly crucial. Glove size can be determined through measurements of multiple dimensions such as hand length, palm width, and finger circumference. Matching glove protective performance to occupational risks requires a more professional assessment in conjunction with glove materials.

Occupational Risks and Glove Protective Performance

I. Mechanical Operations

In the field of mechanical operations, employees often have to deal with various machinery and tools, such as lathes, drilling machines, and grinding wheels. These equipment and tools may generate flying debris, vibration, and high temperatures during operation, posing dangerous factors.

For mechanical operators, selecting gloves that are wear-resistant, heat-resistant, and vibration-absorbing is crucial to protecting their hands from harm.

Wear-Resistant Gloves

Materials: Canvas, leather, or synthetic fibers

Protective Performance: Offers good wear resistance and cut resistance, preventing hands from being scratched or worn by debris.

Heat-Resistant Gloves

Materials: Asbestos, ceramic fibers, etc.

Protective Performance: Provides effective thermal insulation in high-temperature environments.

Vibration-Absorbing Gloves

Materials: Foam plastic, latex, etc.

Protective Performance: Absorbs vibrations generated by machinery, reducing the risk of hand fatigue and injury.

II. Electrical and Electronics

In the electrical and electronics fields, employees need to handle various electrical equipment and electronic components, such as wires, circuit boards, and capacitors. These devices and components may generate electric shocks, static electricity, and harmful substances during operation, posing dangerous factors.

In the electrical and electronics industries, employees should wear insulating, antistatic, and chemical-resistant gloves as important measures to ensure hand safety.

Insulating Gloves

Materials: Rubber, latex, etc.

Protective Performance: Has good insulating properties, effectively preventing electric shock accidents.

Antistatic Gloves

Materials: Antistatic polyester fabric, conductive fibers, PU resin

Protective Performance: Directs static charges generated on the hands to the ground, preventing static discharges from damaging equipment and components.

Chemical-Resistant Gloves

Materials: Chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Protective Performance: Effectively isolates solvents used for cleaning circuit boards, etching, and dissolving certain electronic components, protecting hands from harm.

III. Healthcare

In the healthcare field, doctors, nurses, and other medical workers are exposed to various biological risk factors, such as blood, bodily fluids, and viruses. These risk factors can not only spread diseases through skin contact but also cause injuries to the hands of medical workers.

When performing tasks, medical workers should wear protective gloves such as medical latex gloves or nitrile gloves as basic protection to prevent hand injuries.

Medical Latex Gloves: Good elasticity and fit, providing effective barrier protection.

Nitrile Gloves: Offer better chemical resistance and lower allergenicity, suitable for medical workers allergic to latex.

Let us focus on workplace health together, learn to choose and wear gloves correctly, and let health be our strongest support. Because health is not only our right but also the cornerstone of our pursuit of a better life. Let us work together to safeguard health and add color to life.