You wake up to the sound of your blaring alarm. Its 5 am and the June sun blares into your bedroom through the window. You pull yourself through the motions of the morning: taking a hot shower and dressing for the upcoming work day. The clothing you pull over your body is made from woven flame-retardant fibers and is highly resistant to abrasion and tearing.
Once you’re dressed, you sit down to eat a hearty breakfast while browsing through the news. Then you throw the lunch you made last night into your cooler. Now it’s time to search the usual places for your wallet and keys. Finally, you sit down at the stool by your door and grab your boots. They are slip and oil resistant as well as S3, HRO, & SRC certified. As you lace them up the tall cuff, your toes stretch out and you feel the composite toe plate at the end.
This is how your days start.
After driving to work, you arrive at the site. From the back of your truck you pull your high-vis orange vest and regulation safety helmet. On your way in, you stop to chat with your work buddy. Then, it’s time. You punch your clock and move to your location. As you settle in, you pull a pair of high-visibility orange Raised Diamond Texture gloves from the box in your area. It’s time to get to work.
This is your uniform.
Every component of a worker’s clothing and gear is designed with safety in mind. Whether its high-visibility orange or professional black, employers everywhere are completing their uniforms with a pair of industry-appropriate disposable gloves. These gloves are a necessary component contributing to a safer, more organized workplaces, as well as a professional appearance.
June is National Safety Month and every year the National Safety Council spearheads a conversation about workplace safety in all industries. Part of a comprehensive workplace safety program includes a variety of safety-conscious uniform pieces. Because disposable gloves are, well, disposable, they are not frequently thought of as part of a standard uniform.
However, disposable gloves give necessary barrier protection for some of the hazards in every industry; whether it is to protect workers against harsh chemicals, protect food from cross-contamination, or prevent the spread of blood-borne illnesses.
The appropriate choice in glove material, thickness, texture, and color are necessary factors to employee uniforms in many workplaces.
Hand injuries are the leading cause of injury-related workplace absence. Disposable gloves in high-visibility colors such as orange and green are one component in a safety plan to reduce hand injuries. When workers wear high-visibility gloves, they are able to see their hands as well as the hands of any coworkers in the same area. This has the added benefit of making it easier for supervisors to ensure workers are compliant as the bright colors make it easier to determine whether or not an employee is wearing gloves.
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Workplaces also use disposable gloves to prevent disorganization. Many organizations use a color coding system to segment workers into different departments. Using gloves as part of the uniform in this way is especially important in food processing industries, where cross-contamination is a concern.
Finally, disposable gloves can provide a more professional appearance for workers who come into frequent contact with customers. For food service employees who serve customers face-to-face, such as banquet chefs and servers, a pair of black disposable gloves are the finishing touch on their professional appearance.
These are just some of the ways disposable gloves complete an employee’s safety-conscious uniform. Whether you are a worker, employer, or distributor, start conversations about workplace safety in your industry this June.
