Are gloves safe?

[sam walton]

Today i was doing a site clearance on a construction site. When we arrived we were given our normal induction at the site office and the site manager insisted that we must wear gloves when working. I'm not a fan of wearing gloves because i think it's safer without. yes they might protect you from a few bramble or hawthorn scratches but it's amazing how much tighter you have to hold the saw just to keep your grip, my left arm was fully boxed and how much hotter they make you! To me this is not a very efficient way to work, after an hour or so I had to take them off before I had accident. So why can someone who 's probably never even used a saw before tell me that it's safer to do my job whilst wearing gloves?

[scudmonster]

because theyve done a risk assessment on everything and in the eventuality of every injury.

I climb in fingerless gloves and find them great especially this time of year with hacks.

[MasterBlaster]

I cut one inch off the thumb and forefinger.

 

Yes, gloves ARE safe - and even make you stronger.

[Khriss]

Got to agree here- HAVS is a big problem, gloves keep yr hands warm and reduce vibration/circulation problems that lead to nerve damage, a good grippy pair of rubberised gloves are god up a tree ( specsh in the wet) plus keep conifer sap / starling **** of yr samwidges 4 later -sorry but I always use them:001_smile:

[Ian C]

Have to agree, i climb in fingerless gloves, love them, less damage to hands, keeps them warmer so safer and you dont get the abrasion and thorns etc... but each to there own i guess

[Lancstree]

There are so many types of gloves, you are bound to find a pair that will be to your liking

[bill]

are we talking chainsaw gloves on the ground or thin gloves for climbing?

[josharb87]

i hate wearing gloves with a passion! i like to be able to feel what im doing, when climbing i trust every bit of kit so much that i never think about something going wrong-as do most climbers, but i never trust my gloves! just cant get my head round it!

[Frimsley]

If you're talking chainsaw use on the ground then gloves conforming to EN 381-7 are required by AFAG 301. If you're going to ignore this advice, on which the HSE would base any assessment of whether you have taken reasonable steps to ensure your safety, you've better have a fully documented and thorough risk assessment to explain why. And that RA will need to look at both the risk of cutting your hand and the risk of HAVS.

 

In other situations things are different. Climbing in chainsaw gloves IME is near impossible because you just can't handle the karabiners. But thin sticky grip things I always found great.

 

If you're using swung tools (axe, long arm slasher, bill hook) I would say gloves are not safe as they impair your grip. Sticky grip style gloves you might get away with.

 

Beyond the recommendations of AFAG 301 for saw use, it's going to come down to your risk assessment.

[Log-ologist]

As a student in the early 1990's i watched a fellow student wind his hand through the fairlead rollers on a radio controlled timber winch. He WAS wearing gloves and a sprag of wire caught the glove and dragged his hand in. It was a bit messy.