Document Rj31LR8Rwpk9ZmqZMG3jy43ZV

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Leather reinforced by metal stitching or metal mesh also provides good protection from edged tools, as in butchering and simi lar occupations There are many plastic and plastic-coat ed gloves available (Fig 36-31). They are designed to give protection from a variety of hazards Some surpass leather in wear ing ability Others have granules or rough materials incorporated m the plastic for better gripping ability Where the use of a complete glove is not necessary, finger stalls may be used These are available m combinations of one or more fingers Some of the more common materials used are asbestos, rubber, dude, leather, plastics, and metal mesh The con struction of the stall depends on the degree or typo of hazard to be confronted For protection against heat, hand and arm protectors should be of asbestos cloth or wool. Leather can be used, too, but will not stand a temperature over 150 F. Wnstlets or aim protectors may be ob tained m any of the materials of which gloves are mode. Where the problem is protection from heat or from extremely abrasive or splin tery material, such as rough lumber, hand leathers or band pads are likely to be more satisfactory than gloves smee they can be made heavier and less flexible without dis comfort Since hand leathers or pads are primarily for heavy materials handling, they should not be used around moving machinery. They should at all tunes be sufficiently loose to release the bands and fingers if caught on a rough edge or nail Impervious clothing For protection against dusts, vapors, moisture, and corrosive liquids, there are many types of impervious materials avail able These are fabricated into clothing of all descriptions, depending on die hazards involved. They range from aprons and bibs of sheet plastic, to garments which com pletely enclose the body from head to foot and contain their own air supply Materials used include natural rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, vinyl, polypropy lene, and polyethylene films and fabrics coated with them. Natural rubber is not suited for use with oils, greases, and many organic solvents and chemicals Make sure that the clothing selected will protect against the hazards involved. Various synthetic fabrics such as Dynel and Orion ate used for regular work cloth ing m chemical plants, where daily contact with acids and caustic solutions would cause rapid deterioration of regular cotton clothes These materials are not impervious and should not be used where impervious ma terials are indicated Cloves of these kinds of materials offer protection against all types of petroleum products, caustic soda, tannic acid, muriatic and hydrochloric acid They are also rec ommended m the handling of sulfuric aad, less deterioration taking place than with natural rubber. These gloves are available in varying degrees of strength to meet indi vidual conditions Cloves should be long enough to come well above the wnsts, leaving no gaps be tween the glove and the coat or shirt sleeve Long, flaring gauntlets should be avoided nnlpca they are equipped with locking de vices to assure a snug fit about the wrist. Such gauntlets are especially desirable when acids and other chemicals are being poured. In this operation, the chemicals may splash, and unless precautions are taken, harmful results may occur When caustic substances and harmful solvents are being poured from large to small containers, sleeves should be worn outside gauntlets In many operations, rubber gloves with extra long cuffs have been used to advan tage The cuffs of these gloves are made with a heavy ridge near the top edge, which, when turned back, forms a trough to catch liquids running down the wnst or forearm. Cloves or mittens having metal parts or reinforcements should never be used around electrical apparatus. Work by ouch persons as linemen (Fig 36-32) and electricians on energized or high-voltage electric equipment requires specially made and tested rubber gloves The requirements for electrician's rub ber gloves are detailed m the American So ciety for Testing Materials' Tentative Spec ifications for Rubber Insulating Cloves D-120-52T, 1952 38-49