Gloves and hand hygiene.

According to the CDC, around 80% of all infections are transmitted by our hands. But what does that mean about glove use?

I think we all know by now that social distancing, not touching our face and washing our hands are the number one ways we can prevent the spread of covid-19. But when wearing gloves, the practice is possibly more difficult. Many of us wear gloves for health and safety reasons that go beyond infection management. Our range of TraffiGloves, for example, covers a whole scope of different work needs; protection against cold and heat, hazardous substances, and varying degrees of cut protection. We need to wear them, but how can we ensure they’re still protecting us and not harming us?

The best way, of course, is to change gloves during the day as much as possible. Most TraffiGloves are washable, and so to keep extra clean pairs nearby is best practice. This might mean entrusting our employees with maintaining their gloves themselves, or a collection at the end of the day to wash them ready for the next day.

Otherwise, remove gloves when they’re not needed and continue to avoid touching our faces. Hands should still be washed as frequently, and every time gloves are removed if possible. Hand sanitiser is effective if away from soap and running water. Know that wearing gloves is not a replacement for good hand hygiene. Ensure that gloves aren’t being mixed up between people, and consider a ‘used’ laundry bin nearby to discourage glove sharing.

If you’re in need of any advice on which gloves are the best for you and your employees, then feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help you. And find our full range of TraffiGloves here.