One of the best and most versatile types of personal protective equipment any farmer can carry is a great pair of work gloves. Yes, our hands get beat up and often look like they’ve been to heck and back, but for many projects, it’s vital to give your hands a break by wearing gloves. DuPont Personal Protection highlighted some of the best pairs out there through its sixth annual DuPont Kevlar Glove Innovation Awards.
The awards showcased innovative glove and sleeve designs from licensees that use DuPont Kevlar aramid fiber and help to redefine the standards for performance and comfort. (Aramid fiber is used to make a variety of clothing, accessories, and equipment safe and cut resistant.)
As the industrial workplace continues to evolve, hand protection needs to improve alongside it. Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 20 percent of disabling workplace injuries involve hands, while 70 percent of hand injuries result from not wearing any type of hand protection, and 30 percent of hand injuries are caused by wearing the wrong glove.
Winning entries were chosen based on submissions that utilized Kevlar fiber in the glove or sleeve construction, were unique and unconventional in their approach and challenged the norms of traditional hand protection. Entries were judged on a set of criteria based on excellence in the areas of technology advancement, innovation, and benefits to the wearer including enhanced protection, increased dexterity, comfort, and durability — all critical to safety and performance in even the toughest industrial environments.
This year’s winners, announced during a special reception at the 2019 National Safety Council Congress & Expo in San Diego, California, were (links to order these gloves, if available, are included):
- MCR Safety, for its 9388NF, 18-gauge cut-resistant glove made with Kevlar, raising the glove’s cut level to A6, a market leading combination of protection and comfort. Fine motor-skill tasks can be easily conducted without sacrificing protection, due to this glove’s fine-knit material paired with the reinforced thumb crotch dip.
- ATG Gloves, for its MaxiFlex Cut reaching new levels of comfort at ANSI cut level A4. The inclusion of ATG’s AIRtech platform that delivers 360 degrees of breathability and ATG’s DURAtech coating, which provides 18,000 abrasive cycles per millimeter, delivers a high-performing glove with both comfort and durability.
- Youngstown Glove Company, for its FR Ground Glove, lined with 100 percent Kevlar, offering cut and puncture protection, but also making the glove flame-resistant with increased arc ratings. The Kevlar fiber is sewn directly into the leather for a non-slip liner, greatly enhancing the durability and longevity of the glove.
- Superior Glove, for The Shield, a nail gun hand pad with Kevlar ballistic armor plating, which is strategically placed to protect the areas of the hand that are most susceptible to potential nail gun injuries. For increased durability, the glove is sewn with Kevlar thread to increase the glove’s strength and durability.
- Majestic, for its 21285WR, a soft, yet durable, glove raising the safety standards in protective apparel with a goatskin glove lined with Kevlar. By achieving level 3 arc-resistance and ANSI cut level A4, this design protects all areas of the hand from injury, while being impact, water and oil resistant.
- Ironclad Performance Wear, for its Heatworx Heavy Duty HW6X, a glove designed to withstand up to 600 degrees of heat while being highly dexterous and comfortable for wearers. A silicone-laminated shell, lined with Kevlar, provides extreme heat protection in the finger sidewalls as a machine-washable, comfortable and convenient heat resistant option.
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