While it is important to have occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and practices in place, it is often the PPE that acts as the first line of defence against injury.Personal protective equipment(PPE) is arguably the most important in the health and safety industry as it protects employees against injuries when an incident does occur.
Disposable gloves are essential for practitioners to use their day-to-day procedures and is key during routine patient exams. Disposable gloves are designed to protect their hands against deadly diseases, bacteria, infections, and other pathogens. It is essential for medical personnel to know the right size of exam gloves to use at work.
How Disposable Gloves Should Fit
Disposable nitrile/latex gloves should wrap your hands comfortably. It should be snug without feeling like your movements are restricted. A good way to tell if the gloves are a good fit is that it should feel like a second skin. You should be able to move your fingers and flex with ease without over-stretching the gloves too much. The goal is to find the right size for the width of your palm as well as the length of your fingers.
Reminder:Disposable Nitrile/Latex gloves are designed to allow complete movement and dexterity for you to perform the same tasks as you could with bare hands.
How to Tell if Disposable Gloves Are Too Big
It is more apparent to detect when gloves are too big. The disposable gloves itself would not have to stretch in order to fit hands inside. There will be noticeable wrinkles around the palm area and the fingertips would not reach the ends of the glove tips, leaving a sizeable amount of material dangling at the end of each finger. There would also be excess material bunch up around the wrist area. This can also be distracting to the wearer.
When the gloves fit too large, they do not provide adequate protection to the wearer against infection control as there would not be a snug seal between the glove and the skin on your hands. This would lead to a higher chance of contaminants entering the glove during procedures.
How to Tell if Disposable Gloves Are Too Small
The difference between a well-fitting glove and a glove thatfits too tightis quite slim, the signs are not as apparent than when gloves are too large. Unlike larger gloves, when wearing gloves that are too small, it is all in thefeelof the gloves when it is worn on your hands. These are the few things to keep in mind when determining if the gloves selected are too small.
If the gloves had to be significantly stretched for hands to fit inside, it is likely to be too small. The glove tips would be pressed against the wearers’ fingers and may lead to increased risk of glove puncture from fingernails. This would lead to placing the wearer at undue risk for exposure to contaminants. When gloves are too tight, it may restrict movements of the hands and fingers feel stifled by the glove. Wearers may also feel a lack of grip caused by the gloves and reach hand muscle fatigue more quickly. The grip around the wrist feels tight and the pressure may leave an indentation on your wrist and cuts of blood circulation to the hands.
The fit of your exam gloves can affect your job performance. It’s important to wear the properly sized exam glove that fits your hand, proper glove sizing is vital. Check out Mun’s sizing chart for examination glove and surgical glove range before you order.
FAQs
Wrap a measuring tape around your dominant hand just below knuckles, excluding your thumb, and make a fist. This measurement is your 'hand width' glove size.
How to choose the right size baseball glove? ›
Start by looking at your current glove. Baseball and softball glove makers etch the size of the glove into either the thumb or pinky finger of their gloves. Glove sizes are measured from the top of the index finger to the center of the heel. That measurement in inches is the size of the glove.
How do you know if gloves fit right? ›
Gloves should fit tightly in the beginning, as they stretch out and adjust to your hand size over time. When you put on your gloves for the first time, slightly bend your fingers backwards. If a slight crease occurs by your knuckles (see picture), you'll know that you have the right glove size.
How do I know my exam glove size? ›
To find out your glove size, wrap a measuring tape around the widest part of your hand that's just below the knuckle and excluding your thumb. For this measurement, it's best to use your dominant hand, so measure your left if you are left-handed and vice versa.
How to tell if gloves are too big? ›
The palm—if the glove's palm doesn't cover your palm fully, this indicates that your gloves are too small and you should size up. Excess material—excess material around your hands or bunching in your palms when you close your hands indicates that the gloves are oversized. This means you should size down.
What is a normal glove size? ›
What Is the Average Glove Size? The average glove size for men and women is medium. This is if the glove size offers men's and women's options. However, if the gloves you are purchasing are unisex, you can go medium-large for men and small-medium for women.
How to choose a glove? ›
Some general guidelines to consider when selecting a baseball glove:
- Select a glove that fits.
- Choose the right glove for your position.
- Choose a versatile glove.
- Check for durability and quality leather.
- Shop for a glove that fits your price range.
- Make sure your glove has the right webbing, and other parts.
For a 13-year-old who is looking to make the jump to the BBCOR Certified -3 drop weight, it is recommended that they stay with a 31” or 32” bat. Since this is a big step for players in this age group, it would also be a good idea to choose a bat with a balanced swing weight.
What size glove for a 9 year old boy? ›
Baseball
| Level | Age | Glove Size |
|---|
| T-Ball | 3 to 6 years old | 8.5" - 10" |
| Youth | 7 to 12 years old | 11.5" - 12" |
| Youth | 7 to 12 years old | 10.25" - 11.5" |
| Youth | 7 to 12 years old | 11.5" - 12.25" |
3 more rowsWe recommend that you size down, as the leather will stretch and conform to your hand.
Gloves should allow good movement, and have enough give to operate tools or equipment. If a glove is too tight it will compress the insulation and will not be able to properly trap warm air resulting in cold hands, so go up a size.
Is it better for gloves to be too big or too small? ›
DON'T buy the wrong size
It's worth noting that gloves should be snug at first but have the ability to stretch to fit the hand, within reason. Unfortunately, there's no getting around a glove that is too big! You can easily work out your hand size from home, using a tape measure!
How to check hand size? ›
There are three key measurements of adult hand size:
- length: measured from the tip of the longest finger to the crease under the palm.
- breadth: measured across the widest area where the fingers join the palm.
- circumference: measured around the palm of your dominant hand, just below the knuckles, excluding the thumb.
Glove Sizing
| Measurement around Palm (inches) | Glove Size | Geier Mitten Size |
|---|
| 8.5 | 8½ | S |
| 9 | 9 | M |
| 9.5 | 9½ |
| 10 | 10 | L |
7 more rowsHow do you read a glove rating? Protection against mechanical hazards is symbolized by a pictogram followed by four numbers (performance levels) then two letters. Put simply, the higher the number, the higher the level of protection.
Is your glove size the same as your shoe size? ›
THE SHOE METHOD
Our expertise has revealed that there is usually a direct correlation between foot size and glove size.
What glove size is 10 inches? ›
Glove Sizing
| Measurement around Palm (inches) | Glove Size | Geier Mitten Size |
|---|
| 9.5 | 9½ | M |
| 10 | 10 | L |
| 10.5 | 10½ |
| 11 | 11 | XL |
7 more rowsWomen's Gloves Size Guide
| INCHES | CENTIMETERS | DENTS GLOVE SIZE |
|---|
| 7 | 18 | S |
| 7.5 | 19 | M |
| 8 | 20.5 | L |
| 8.5 | 21.5 | XL |
3 more rows