Six Common Chemicals that Require Disposable Gloves

Are you aware of the six common chemicals that require disposable gloves?

You may have encountered some of them on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website or when skimming through product manuals found in most packaging. With Halloween just around the corner, the fall season brings many overdue home projects that make use of common chemicals. They can be found in products such as pesticides, wood stains, paints, and lacquers.

Before you get started with your next big home project, be sure to read the product manual so you're aware and protected from the six common chemicals where disposable gloves are a must!

Wood Stains 

Wood stains come in a variety of compositions and consistencies. Some are semi-transparent, while others are intended to create a thick coating over wood. Wood stain products in the market come in a wide variety, specific stains may contain multiple hazardous chemicals.

Commonly found chemicals in wood stains are ethylene glycol, sodium hydroxide, ethyl alcohol, latex, and 1,4-dioxane. Industrial-grade nitrile, latex, and vinyl disposable gloves provide effective protection and resistance depending on which chemical and its duration of use. Consumers should always follow label instructions and make use of personal protective equipment such as gloves to avoid unwanted exposure to chemicals.

Pesticides

Naphthalene, paradichlorobenzene, and capsaicin are chemicals commonly found in pesticides and are among the 6 types of chemicals that require disposable glove use. It is important to choose the right kind of gloves for the job to ensure best protection.

For example, industrial-grade latex, nitrile, and vinyl disposable gloves are resistant to naphthalene and are all suitable to use when handling this chemical; but only nitrile gloves, such as Gloveworks Heavy-Duty Orange Nitrile are recommended when using paradichlorobenzene.

Since nitrile is a synthetic glove material, it offers superior chemical resistance and protection against paradichlorobenzene. In fact, premium nitrile gloves are likely to resist punctures and tears three times more than latex. They are also more chemical resistant when compared to latex and vinyl.

Specialty Chemicals

Specialty chemicals are produced to serve a specific function. They may be composed of either a single chemical or a blend.

Iodine, printing ink, lubricants, and plastics are specialty chemicals that require disposable glove use. They also often have an influence on the product in the manufacturing process and are commonly used in the oil, agriculture, electronics, construction, and in consumer goods industries, such as detergents, perfumes, and paper items.

Due to the fact, these blends vary depending on the application, specialty chemicals should always be handled with care, which means wearing disposable gloves and PPE is a no-brainer.

Perchloroethylene

Perchloroethylene is a non-flammable, colorless, volatile organic compound frequently used in dry cleaning applications. It is also known as tetrachloroethylene, PCE, and PERC. While dry cleaning services are the most common use for PERC, it is also used to manufacture other chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons, rubber coatings, insulating fluid, and cooling gas for electrical transformers, solvent soaps, printing inks, adhesives, leather treatments, and automotive cleaners.

Exposure to PERC is common in work environments such as dry cleaning, metal degreasing, chemical production, rubber coating, and textile factories. Although most PERC-related health problems are caused by inhalation, the chemical may cause irritation after direct contact with the skin. Industrial-grade gloves such as Gloveworks HD Latex and Gloveworks HD Orange Nitrile are excellent disposable glove choices to protect employees.

Lacquer and Paint Thinners

Lacquer and paint thinners are harsh solvents that should not be handled without PPE. This is because these substances, which are used in the construction, automotive, retail, and maritime industries, present several health risks if handled carelessly.

If workers use paint and lacquer thinners without gloves, they may experience dermatitis, skin irritation, and numbness in areas that come in contact with the solvents. With repeated exposure, side effects become more severe, ranging from liver disease to an increased risk of cancer, as indicated by material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for these solvents.

Salon Chemicals 

Hazardous chemicals are found in many industries and products, the beauty industry is no exception.  Acetone, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, dibutyl phthalate, and toluene are among the six common chemicals that require disposable gloves. These chemicals are in many beauty products including nail polish, nail polish remover, nail and hair bonding glue, hair dye, and hair spray.

Workers in the beauty industry handle potentially toxic chemicals daily and should wear the appropriate PPE based on the chemicals they use. As chemical concentrations may vary, it is important to check the safety data sheet issued by the manufacturer and conduct in-house testing to determine the safe exposure time. 

Nitrile gloves such as Gloveworks Black Nitrile, are more chemical resistant than latex or vinyl. They are also three times more puncture resistant than latex.  Although nitrile gloves provide excellent barrier protection against many common salon chemicals, it is still important to understand the recommendations for each solution.

When it comes to using disposable gloves, opportunities are everywhere.  For many applications from home to industrial use, disposable gloves are a necessity. Whatever the case, demand for disposable gloves is growing, and distributors need to supply gloves to meet that demand.

Zoomget carries a wide variety of nitrile, latex, and vinyl disposable gloves from brands such as 1^st Choice, Gloveworks, AMMEX Professional, and X3.