Impact Gloves vs. Vibration-Resistant Gloves

Protecting yourself from bodily harm is essential, no matter what occupation you specialize in. However, wearing the appropriate PPE (personal protection equipment) is mandatory for labor-intensive jobs, such as woodwork, plumbing, and construction. Without it, you can be at a higher risk of injury.

It’s especially important to protect yourself from vibration and impact injuries. Wearing the right equipment will protect you from long-term health effects, such as hand-arm vibration syndrome and irreversible impact damage. Based on your occupation, knowing the difference between impact gloves and vibration-resistant gloves matters. So let’s look over a basic discussion of hand protection on the job and understand the differences between impact and vibration-resistant work gloves.

The Importance of Hand Protection

When you work in labor-intensive jobs, there are higher risks of danger and injury. You could be at risk of crushing, punctures, cuts, abrasions, extreme temperatures, and chemical exposure. Wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment will reduce your chances of injury and exposure significantly.

When choosing the correct glove for the job, you should speak to your employer and view your company handbook for more safety knowledge. However, choosing between impact gloves and vibration-resistant gloves will help significantly, primarily if you work with heavy-duty equipment and materials.

Impact Gloves

When you wear impact gloves, you protect yourself against various injuries, such as getting crushed or smashed between objects. These situations can result in fractured or broken fingers, leaving you unable to work.

While impact glove materials aren’t rigid, they offer protective features. They absorb and disperse impacts, allowing the worker to maintain dexterity. Impact gloves provide unique protective features, including thermoplastic rubber or elastomers, along with proprietary foams to shield the tops of your hands from impacts.

Vibration-Resistant Gloves

With anti-vibration safety gloves, they work to protect you by reducing vibration impacts and absorbing them. Power tools, such as jackhammers and road breakers, can potentially lead to lasting harm to both arms and hands if not adequately protected.

Some vibration-resistant gloves provide a urethane air bladder to provide a protective barrier between the palm and power tools. Without protection, the worker can experience hand-arm vibration syndrome, which leaves long-lasting effects ranging from mild to severe.