Skip Navigation
Search
Gloves
To Wear or Not To Wear?
A very important question for your safety!
Why Wearing Gloves is Important
It is important to wear gloves when working with hazardous chemicals and other materials because they protect our hands from infection and contamination. Protective gloves should be selected on the basis of the hazards involved.
- Nitrile gloves protect against most chemicals and infectious agents.
- Rubber gloves protect against mild corrosive material.
- Neoprene gloves protect against most solvents, oils, and mild corrosive materials.
- Avoid latex gloves as many people are allergic or develop allergies to this material.
When to Wear Gloves
Wear gloves when your hands may come into contact with:
- infectious materials
- radioactive materials
- chemicals
When NOT to Wear Gloves
- Don't wear gloves when touching common surfaces, such as telephones, computers, door knobs, and elevator buttons, or that may be touched without gloves by others.
- Don't wear gloves outside of the lab. When transporting hazardous materials between labs, use secondary containers that can be carried without gloves. (Bring gloves and spill materials in case of an accident.)
Questions on glove, lab coat or other safe practices? Contact EH&S at (631) 632-6410.