Measuring the protective ability of Protective Gloves when facing chemical attack is a complex but critical issue.
First, the chemical resistance of the material is a key indicator. Different materials have very different resistance to various chemicals. For example, nitrile rubber has good resistance to many organic solvents, while natural rubber may not be suitable in certain strong acid and alkali environments. By conducting chemical immersion tests on materials, parameters such as volume expansion, weight change, and strength loss in specific chemicals can be evaluated to determine their protective ability.
Penetration time is another important metric. Even if a material is resistant to chemical attack, after a certain period of time, the chemical may still penetrate the glove and contact the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the time required for the chemical to penetrate from the outer surface of the glove to the inner surface. The longer this time, the stronger the protective ability of the Protective Gloves.
The degree of degradation is also one of the factors to be considered. Some chemicals may cause the glove material to degrade, such as becoming brittle, cracking, or losing elasticity. By observing the changes in the appearance and physical properties of the gloves after contact with chemicals, the effectiveness of their protection can be evaluated.
In addition, the fit and integrity of the gloves will also affect the protective ability. If there are gaps, holes or the gloves are not worn well, chemicals are more likely to penetrate. Therefore, when measuring the protective ability, it is necessary to consider the design and manufacturing quality of the gloves to ensure that they can fit the hands tightly and provide comprehensive protection.
At the same time, it is also necessary to refer to relevant standards and certifications. There are many international standards for the chemical protection performance of Protective Gloves, such as the European EN standard and the American ANSI standard. These standards specify a series of test methods and performance requirements. Gloves that meet the standards and obtain corresponding certifications are usually more secure in terms of chemical protection.
For example, in an accident at a chemical plant, the workers' hands were injured because the Protective Gloves used failed to effectively block the penetration of chemicals. Subsequent investigations found that although the gloves selected claimed to have certain chemical protection properties, in fact, their penetration time was much lower than the possible contact time of chemicals in the working environment.
In summary, to measure the protective ability of Protective Gloves against chemical erosion, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as the chemical resistance, penetration time, degradation degree, fit and integrity of the material, and refer to relevant standards and certifications. Only in this way can we choose gloves that can truly provide effective protection and ensure the safety of workers.
