Nitrile Gloves Explained: All you need to know about this personal protective equipment
Disposable gloves are mandatory for use in many sectors – medicine, food and chemical industries, laboratories, HoReCa, and many others. This personal protective equipment must be durable, strong, flexible, comfortable to wear, and not cause allergic reactions to meet all requirements of it’s wide application. Nitrile gloves meet these and many other qualifications. They are the best choice you can make for protection during work.
This article will cover everything you need to know about nitrile gloves and why they’ve become popular personal protective equipment.
What is nitrile?
In the beginning, nitrile was created as an alternative to latex. But due to its outstanding advantages, the innovative material quickly became the preferred material for producing disposable gloves. It has the main properties of latex but is improved and does not cause allergic reactions. Nitrile is of completely synthetic origin. Its full name is nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR).
Why do nitrile gloves have this massive success?
First and foremost is the underlying problem of allergic reactions caused by the protein in natural latex. Data indicate that up to 10% of healthcare professionals experience irritation when using latex gloves. This reaction ultimately restricts their daily work activity and causes significant discomfort. As a substance of synthetic origin, nitrile is hypoallergenic and does not cause rashes, difficulty breathing, itching, and many other symptoms of latex allergy.
Nitrile gloves do not require the application of powder, which is used to absorb moisture when worn. The powder is a prerequisite for many respiratory irritations or allergic reactions. Moreover, using such disposable gloves in the food industry is prohibited. Powder-free personal protective equipment offers the highest durability, is skin-friendly, and meets food contact safety standards.
Nitrile gloves are more resistant to chemicals than latex, making them ideal for employees working in challenging work areas. They are also highly tear-resistant and dense but in no way hinder tactile sensitivity. They are ergonomic and suitable for work, even for an extended time.
What do nitrile gloves protect against?
Wearing appropriate gloves is essential for workplace safety. People in all industries need personal protective equipment to protect against infection, burns, cuts, and more. In addition, nitrile gloves protect delicate materials being worked with – electronics, glass, or metal. An essential part is also the delivery of an uncontaminated product to the end-user. Nitrile gloves fully cover this requirement as well. They provide reliable protection against:
Dangerous Microorganisms
Offers protection against bacteria and viruses. This makes them surgical-grade personal protective equipment.
Oils and petroleum products
Serve as a barrier between the employee’s hands and potentially hazardous fuels and petroleum products.
Chemicals and Acids
Protects against weak acids such as sulfuric and nitric, as well as chemicals such as acetone, ethanol, isopropyl, and many others. This makes them ideal for general use in laboratories. However, nitrile gloves are not resistant to all strong chemicals. In such a case, neoprene may be a suitable solution.
Essential characteristics of nitrile gloves
Having listed the advantages of nitrile gloves, it is important to consider the main characteristics determining the quality of this personal protective equipment.
Thickness
With any glove, the thickness impacts the types of tasks it can handle.
A thin glove is more economical and cost-effective as it requires less manufacturing material. It also provides more sensitivity, essential for tasks requiring high precision. Another advantage is the product’s lightness, which is highly convenient when performing extended operations.
For thicker gloves, more material is used in production, making them very durable. They can withstand tears as well as more potent chemicals. This type of glove is not very flexible.
Colors
There is no specific color distribution for nitrile gloves. The most universal and standard on the market are the blue ones. That way they easily stand out to people with allergies to latex gloves, which are usually white.
The most common reason for the variety of PPE colors is industry preferences. There is a so-called color-coding, where each color corresponds to a different application.
For example, employees in the automotive sector often practice their activities in darker rooms. Therefore, they enforce the practice of using orange-colored gloves. Their work is not hindered by the weaker light, and they always know where their hands are.
In most cases, however, the color does not affect the product’s main characteristics.
Sizes
One of the essential benefits that nitrile gloves provide is comfort. These are the most comfortable disposables among a latex, vinyl, and other alternatives. They fit perfectly, provide easy hand movement, are ergonomic and flexible, and offer high tactile sensitivity. And how do you find out the most suitable size? See the graphic below.
Why choose PPS Manufacturing’s nitrile gloves
PPS Manufacturing – the European manufacturer of nitrile gloves. Our factory is based in the industrial center of Bulgaria – the city of Plovdiv. It is located on 6000 sq.m. and has a production capacity of 800,000 nitrile gloves per day or about 250,000 boxes per month.
We stand out for our commitment to protecting people’s lives and health by providing them independent access to safe personal protective equipment.
PPS Manufacturing’s nitrile gloves meet a number of quality standards. They are enriched with colloidal silver for additional antiseptic protection. They are manufactured from 100% synthetic nitrile latex. See all important product features.
Inquire and choose a product made in the EU, with high quality at competitive prices and fast and reliable delivery.