Page 34 - PPE GUIDELINE

Guidelines on the Use of PPE Against Chemical Hazards

Use and Maintenance

Care should be taken in the donning, use, removal and storage of protective gloves.
They should be maintained in good condition, checked regularly and discarded if
worn out or deteriorated. They should fit the wearer properly leaving no gap between
the glove and the wearer’s sleeve.

Barrier integrity of chemical protective glove can be easily affected by the storage
condition. Always store the glove in a cool and dry area away from direct exposure to
sunlight or ultraviolet source. Always refer to the recommended storage condition
provided by the glove supplier.

Gloves are to be used with proper care. Always inspect the
gloves before using them, always inspect for signs of defects
such as holes or tearing. Gloves should also be free of foreign
materials and their shape should not be distorted. Discard any
defective glove. During usage, if observed sign of
discoloration or change in the material stiffness, the glove has
been degraded and shall be replaced immediately. Always
report and record down any observation of premature failure.

Do not let chemicals come into contact with skin. One of the ways to achieve this is to
consider the mode of attire positioning with respect to the glove. Mode of attire
positioning with respect to the glove and the protective clothing depends on the
working posture. If the activities involved level below shoulder, always ensure the
cuff of the glove inserted inside the protective sleeve. For posture above shoulder, the
protective sleeve should be inserted inside the cuff of the glove to prevent chemical
from entering into the glove. Upon completion of task, it is advisable to remove any
chemical residue with the use of suitable decontaminating agent. There is no
guideline to dictate which detergent / solvent to be used as it is solely depends on the
chemical exposed to. Removal of chemical residue should be done before removing
the glove from the hand. It is important to ensure adequate study to be conducted by
the users to ensure thorough decontamination. Insufficient decontamination would
deteriorate the glove further even if it were not in use. Handle and remove gloves
carefully to avoid contamination of hands and the insides of the gloves. The glove
should be dried in a decontaminated area.

After the use of gloves, it is good practice to wash the hand with soap and running
water. Dry the hands carefully and use hand cream to keep the skin from becoming
dry through lost of natural oils. Before any glove is to be reused, factors such as the
chemical toxicity, the effectiveness of the decontamination process, and the
absorption characteristic of the gloves need to be considered. If in doubt about the
effectiveness of the decontamination, it is advisable not to reuse the gloves.

Caution! Gloves should not be worn when working near moving equipment and
machinery parts as the glove may get caught in the equipment and draw the
hand and arm of the worker into the moving machinery.

Department of Occupational Safety & Health, Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia ™October 2005 34