Appendix M
Glove Use and Selection in UW-Stout Laboratories
Determination of the need for glove protection shall be made on the basis of a hazard assessment that
considers the chemical, chemical concentration, potential of harm to chemical exposure and use
conditions (including an assessment of the potential for exposure; e.g., splash or immersion). Special
procedures may require glove protection. For example, gloves made of chemically compatible material
should be worn for work with strong corrosives or with particularly hazardous substances. The review
process for work with particularly hazardous substances shall include a glove requirement assessment.
Lab instructors and research supervisors are responsible for determining if and what type of glove
protection is required in their labs.
General rules for glove use:

Select gloves that are resistant to the chemicals you may be exposed to. Consult relevant Safety
Data Sheets (SDSs), which may recommend a particular glove material. Consult chemical
resistance guides and manufacturer’s sites for brand specific glove recommendations. The
Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) can also assist with glove selection.

Select gloves of the correct size and fitting.

Before use, check gloves (even new ones) for physical damage such as tears or pin holes and
for previous chemical damage. This is especially important when dealing with dangerous
materials.

When removing gloves, do so in a way that avoids the contaminated exterior contacting the
skin. Watch this video for a demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEnn-Ng-NNs.

Disposable gloves must be discarded once removed. Do not save for future use.

Dispose of contaminated gloves properly.

Wash hands with soap and water once gloves have been removed.

Never wear gloves outside of the laboratory or to handle telephones, computer keyboards, etc.

Non-disposable/reusable gloves must be washed and dried, as needed, and then inspected for
tears and holes prior to reuse.

If for any reason a glove fails, and chemicals come into contact with skin, consider it an
exposure and seek medical attention.
Glove Selection

No glove will protect from all chemical hazards. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully select
gloves based on several considerations:
o
Chemical
o
o
o
o
o
o

Chemical contact time
Chemical concentration
Incidental splash or immersion protection
Temperature of chemical
Glove thickness
Glove re-use
Other glove requirements will also affect glove selection decision:
o
o
o
o
o
Length of glove
Dexterity requirements
Cut and abrasion resistance
Puncture and snag resistance
Glove grip
Table M-1 lists appropriate gloves for common laboratory chemicals. Consult glove manufacturers’
compatibility charts or other sources for chemicals that are not in the table. Also note that only the most
common glove materials are included. Additional glove materials include latex, poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA),
poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), natural rubber, Viton, Teflon, Silver Shield and more.
Table M-1: Glove Chemical Resistance
Chemical
Nitrile
Butyl
Neo.
Chemical
Nitrile
Butyl
Neo.
Acetaldehyde
Acetone
Acetonitrile
Acrylamide
Amyl alcohol
Benzaldehyde
Boron trifluoride
Butyl alcohol
Chloroform
Diethyl ether
Dimethylformamide
Dimethylsulfoxide
Ethanol
Ethoxyethanol
Ethyl acetate
Ethylene glycol
NR
NR
P
G
P
NR
NR
P
NR
P
NR
P
P
NR
NR
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
NR
E
P
P
E
E
E
E
G
E
P
P
F
E
E
F
NR
E
P
P
F
E
E
G
P
E
Methanol
Methylene chloride
Phenol
Propyl alcohol
Sodium azide
Tetrahydrofuran
Toluene
Xylene
NR
NR
NR
P
E
NR
NR
NR
E
P
E
E
NT
P
P
P
F
NR
F
E
E
P
P
P
Common Acids
Acetic acid, glacial
Formic acid
Hydrochloric acid
Nitric acid
Sulfuric acid
NR
NR
E
NR
NR
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Formaldehyde
E
E
E
Common Bases
Glycerine
E
E
E
Ammonium hydroxide E
E
E
Hexane
P
P
G
Calcium hydroxide
E
NR
E
Hydrogen peroxide
E
E
E
Potassium hydroxide
E
E
E
Isopropyl alcohol
P
E
E
Sodium hydroxide
E
E
E
Key: E = Excellent; G = Good; F = Fair; P = Poor; NR = Not Recommended; NT = Not Tested
Neo. = Neoprene
Nitrile = Thin disposable nitrile gloves. Thicker nitrile gloves may work where disposable gloves do not.

It is important to be familiar with the following terminology when making a glove selection:
o
Permeation is a process by which a chemical can pass through a protective film without
going through pinholes, pores, or other visible openings. Chemical permeation can be
described in simple terms by comparing it to what happens to the air in a balloon after
several hours. Although there are no holes or defects, and the balloon is tightly sealed, the
air gradually passes through its walls and escapes. Permeation data are reported in two
values:

Breakthrough times (most commonly used) are the times observed from the start of
the test to first detection of the chemical on the other side of the sample.

Breakthrough rates are the highest flow rates recorded for the permeating
chemicals through the glove samples during a six-hour or eight-hour test.
o
Degradation is the physical change in glove after chemical exposure. Typical effects may
be swelling, wrinkling, deterioration or delamination. There are no accepted standards for
measuring degradation.
o
Cut Resistance. There are no consistent standards for measuring cut resistance.

Several glove selection resources are listed in Table M-2. This is not an all-inclusive list of glove
selection guides; safety supply companies and other glove manufacturer sites may also prove
helpful. Recommendations vary, since for the most part, each site recommends brand-specific
gloves. Available on each site are the glove compatibility or chemical resistance charts for those
gloves supplied by those companies. Not all chemicals will be listed on these charts. Also note
that two similar gloves supplied by two separate manufacturers may not provide the same level
of protection to a specific chemical. Therefore, it will be necessary to consult the manufacturer’s
specific compatibility chart for the brand of gloves being used. A few more things to consider
when using these resources:
o
There are two basic components to consider when making glove selection: glove
material and glove thickness. Common glove materials are latex, nitrile, neoprene,
butyl, PVC and PVA. There are other specialty glove materials available. Glove thickness
is typically measured in millimeters. Most resources below will make a brand specific
glove recommendation which will consider both basic components. Additional research
must be done if a recommendation does not consider both basic components.
o
Glove protection requirements differ on whether protection is needed from splash (and
incidental contact) or immersion (significant contact over time). Some resources make
distinctions in their recommendation based on whether one anticipates splash or
immersion exposure.
o
Most of these sites are considering industrial applications when making glove
recommendations. Industrial and lab applications often differ. This emphasizes the
importance of considering conditions of use and potential for chemical exposure when
making the hazard assessment.
o
Concentration of chemical used is a variable that should be considered when making a
glove selection. Not all sites specify chemical concentration. Additional research must be
done if guidance does not allow consideration of chemical concentration.
o
Not all chemicals will be listed.
o
Each guide and site uses slightly different rating keys. It is important to understand the
rating system used for the site you are using.
o
There are limits to the ability of these guides and on-line selection tools for making
glove recommendations considering the number of variables that should be considered
when making glove selection. Other resources should also be considered when making
glove selections. Consult the chemical’s SDS and/or the CHO. Most glove companies and
safety supply companies have technical phone support.
Table M-2: Glove Selection References
Reference
All Safety Chemical Resistance Chart:
http://www.allsafetyproducts.com/images/sas_glove_chemical_resistance_chart.pdf
Not specific to manufacturer. Uses color scheme and ratings for the compatibility of four
common glove materials with a variety of chemicals. Does not specify glove thickness.
Ansell Chemical Resistance Guide:
http://www.ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_8thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf
Recommendations are limited to Ansell products. Lists degradation rating and permeation
breakthrough times, and provides an overall rating using color codes with green being wellsuited.
Ansell SpecWare: http://www.ansellpro.com/specware/
Recommendations are limited to Ansell products. Can choose for splash or immersion
protection. Can also search for gloves for mixtures by choosing more than one chemical. Uses
the same overall rating color code as the Ansell Chemical Resistance Guide.
Ansell “Ask the Experts:”
http://www.ansellpro.com/main/technicalCenter_askTheExperts.asp
Email the Ansell technical support team for recommendations.
Showa Best Glove ChemRest: http://www.showabestglove.com/site/chemrest/default.aspx
Recommendations are limited to Showa Best Glove products. Lists degradation rating, permeation
breakthrough times for two ASTM tests, and cut/puncture/abrasion/tear resistance.
Cole-Parmer Glove Chemical Compatibility Database:
http://www.coleparmer.com/TechInfo/GloveChemComp.asp?CID=9&SrtBy=3
Includes several manufacturers with overall, degradation and permeation ratings and
breakthrough times.
MAPA Glove Chemical Resistance Guide: http://www.mapa-pro.com/hand-protectionselection-guide/protections/chemical-protection.html
Recommendations are limited to MAPA glove products. Gives chemical concentration used in
making the recommendation. Lists breakthrough time, permeation level and degradation rating,
and provides overall protection rating using symbols and colors with ++/dark green being the
best.
North ezGuide: www.northsafety.com
Registration is required. Gives glove thickness used for testing. Lists breakthrough time,
permeation rate and a color-coded degradation rate with “Excellent”/green representing no
degradation.
NIOSH Recommendations for Chemical Protective Clothing:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ncpc/
Provides overall recommendations for 8-hour and/or 4-hour use, but no other details such as
glove thickness, breakthrough, etc. It is no longer being updated but is available as an
archived reference.