Butyl

Offers the highest resistance to permeation by most gases and water vapor. Especially suitable for use with esters and ketones.

Neoprene
Provides moderate abrasion resistance but good tensile strength and heat resistance. Compatible with many acids, caustics and oils. Neoprene gloves are available in disposable and reusable styles.

Nitrile
Nitrile gloves are by far the most common gloves used on campus. Both disposable and reusable nitrile gloves are available in the marketplace.  

Before ordering nitrile gloves, be sure you choose the appropriate thickness. Refer to the SDS or glove manufacturer's recommendations.  Thin (6 mil or less) gloves are purely disposable and should changed out routinely. Thicker re-usable nitrile gloves may be cleaned (after each use) and re-used for extended purposes. EHS recommends purchasing, at a minimum, 4 mil nitrile gloves in different sizes so all lab personnel can wear the correct size glove to conduct their work.

Nitrile are made of synthetic rubber, containing no latex proteins. Nitrile gloves offer resistance to many different chemicals and biological materials, when used in small quantities, and are generally safe for people who are allergic to latex. 

NOTE: "Nitrile" is a marketing word. A glove containing any percentage of nitrile rubber may be categorized as "nitrile."


PVC
Provides excellent abrasion resistance and protection from most fats, acids, and petroleum hydrocarbons.

PVA
Highly impermeable to gases. Excellent protection from aromatic and chlorinated solvents. Cannot be used in water or water-based solutions.

Viton
Exceptional resistance to chlorinated and aromatic solvents. Good resistance to cuts and abrasions.

Silver Shield
Offers highest level of overall chemical resistance. A couple downsides to Silver Shield gloves: very expensive to use on a regular basis and remove quite a bit of dexterity due to the bulkiness of the gloves. One option to regain some dexterity is to wear a nitrile glove over the silver shield glove. May be good for extended use.

Latex
Risk Management & Safety discourages the use of latex gloves.  The protein in latex rubber can cause an allergic reaction to individuals who may be sensitive to it. Symptoms can range from sneezing to anaphylactic shock, a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. A latex allergy can also develop over time after wearing latex gloves. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has more information for those interested in latex allergies.

If your main concern is chemical protection, there are safer options.

*For other types of hazards, please see the section on Gloves for Other Hazards.

Animal Bites/Scratches/Microtome Blades

Mice, rodents, and other animals can scratch and bite, so appropriate gloves should be worn when handling animals. Gloves with wire mesh, or other cut-resistant material (e.g. Kevlar), are recommended. Different materials will provide varying protection against abrasions or cuts. Be sure to check with the manufacturer for the specific capabilities of the glove you choose. Look for gloves that have a longer gauntlet if more protection is needed.

Sharps Hazards

Chemical compatibility guides may not indicate susceptibility to abrasion or cuts. Stainless steel, Kevlar, and leather gloves will all provide varying protection against abrasions or cuts. Check with the manufacturer or supplier for this information for specific gloves before using.

Thermal (Heat/Flame/Cryogenic) Hazards

Wear proper gloves when removing materials from a hot autoclave or oven, using bunsen burners or other heating elements, dispensing liquid nitrogen, or handling dry ice. One type of glove that will protect against hot temperatures, may not protect against cold temperatures.

When handling liquid nitrogen or dry ice, cryo gloves are the best option. When handling heated objects, be sure to wear a heat resistant glove.

Safety staff can assist in choosing the right gloves.

REMINDER: Gloves are not the only PPE required when removing items from an autoclave or working with cryogenic materials.

When selecting the appropriate glove, the following characteristics should be considered:

• Degradation rate,
• Breakthrough time, and
• Permeation rate.

Degradation

Degradation is the change in the physical properties of a glove material. Degradation typically appears as hardening, stiffening, swelling, shrinking, or cracking of the glove. Degradation ratings indicate how well a glove will hold up when exposed to a chemical. When looking at a chemical compatibility chart, degradation is usually reported as E (excellent), G (good), F (fair), P (poor), NR (not recommended), or NT (not tested).

Degradation is one critical factor when choosing a glove and is usually the first test. Degradation alone can be enough to disqualify a glove for use with a particular chemical.

Permeation

Permeation rate involves absorption of the chemical on the surface of the glove, diffusion through the glove, and desorption of the chemical on the inside of the glove. Resistance to permeation is usually reported as E (excellent), G (good), F (fair), P (poor), or NR (not recommended). If chemical breakthrough does not occur, then permeation rate is not measured and is reported ND (none detected).

Breathrough

Breakthrough time is the time it takes for a given chemical to pass through the glove material. The time noted generally reflects how long a glove can be expected to provide resistance when totally submerged in the test chemical.

Most manufacturers do not test permeation or breakthrough time if the chemical causes significant degradation to the glove material. Most disposable gloves are not tested for breakthrough time, and are not designed to be fully submerged in a chemical.

For mixtures, it is recommended that the glove material be selected based on the shortest breakthrough time.

Disposable vs. Reusable Gloves

Before choosing the type of reusable gloves to use for a specific procedure or task, check the Permeation and Degradation Charts from the glove manufacturer. We do not recommend purchasing of gloves from a manufacturer that does not provide this data. Glove selection charts only compare reusable gloves. The Ansell Glove Guide may be useful for selecting an appropriate reusable glove. Disposable gloves are made of thinner material and are designed to be discarded after a single use.

Glove Size

Gloves come in several sizes (S, M, L, XL). Try to purchase a variety so that each employee will have gloves that fit comfortably.  A glove that is too small or too lage affects dexerity and the employee's ability to do the work safely.

Glove Thickness

The thickness of a glove is an important consideration to prevent skin exposure. Be sure to check the thickness of the glove you are purchasing, and make sure it provides the proper protection. Never purchase a glove that does not specify the thickness of the material.

Although a thicker glove may provide greater protection, dexterity may be limited or reduced.

Powdered vs. Non-Powdered Gloves

Gloves come powdered or non-powdered, but Risk Management discourages the use of powdered gloves. The powder is usually cornstarch and is used to lubricate the gloves, making them easier to put on. The FDA has a report on the potential adverse health effects of using a powdered glove and has now banned their use. There is increased potential for the development of an allergy to the glove material. Powdered gloves are being discontinued by many manufacturers.

Donning and Doffing Gloves (putting on and taking off)

Contamination can spread easily if you do not remove disposable nitrile gloves correctly. This video can help ensure that you are wearing the correct size glove, checking it for holes or tears and shows different ways that you can safely remove disposable nitrile gloves and not contaminate yourself.

Wear the correct gloves based on assessment of the chemical(s) you are using. Document your assessment using the Chemical Use Planning Form.

Dispose of contaminated gloves properly:

• Biologically contaminated gloves need to go into a biowaste container.
• Chemically contaminated gloves need to be collected as hazardous waste.
• Radioactively contaminated gloves need to be collected as radioactive waste.
• UNcontaminated gloves may be disposed of in general trash.
• Reusable gloves must be rinsed/washed after each use.
• Disposable nitrile gloves are designed to be single-use ONLY. They should be discarded when removed and not left on the lab bench. Never save disposal gloves for re-use or future use. Reusing gloves increases the risk of contamination to you and your research.

Be sure to do the following:

• Inspect all gloves for tears and holes prior to use.
• Remove gloves before touching personal items, such as phones, computers, pens, clothing, chairs, etc.
• NEVER wear gloves out of the lab. Gloves should not be needed to transport anything through hallways. Use a secondary container and carry clean gloves to put on when arriving at the new location.

Always wash your hands after removing gloves.

Latex gloves are mostly a thing of the past in UVM labs due to allergies from repeated exposures. Please review the NIOSH information about latex glove allergies.

It is not common to develop a skin allergy to nitrile. "Allergic" symptoms more commonly develop due to improper use of PPE rather than an actual nitrile allergy. Below are ways in which "allergic" symptoms may appear:

• Wearing gloves that are not the correct size (i.e., too tight, so blood flow gets restricted, or too loose, so chemicals end up getting inside).
• Moist hands (sweaty) and/or covered with hand soap or sanitizer residue before donning the glove.
• Reusing gloves after having touched chemicals (i.e., student/employee removes gloves and put a contaminated glove back on).
• Wearing gloves for an extremely long period of time, past the proven permeation rate and/or break-through times. A chemical can end up seeping through the glove, causing dermatitis and/or skin sensitization, or going directly through pinholes or tears in the glove.
• Poor doffing (glove removal) technique.
• Not washing hands with soap and water after doffing (removing) gloves or noticing symptoms.
• An underlying medical conditions (eczema, other skin or autoimmune disorders, etc.).
• Chronic skin sensitization from working with chemicals in the past
• Contact safety@uvm.edu if you would like assistance with PPE assessments.