If you are an end user of hand and arm protection products, the International Glove Association is inviting you to its annual meeting in Tucson, Arizona, March 20 -22, 2016. The 2016 Glove Symposium is an opportunity for safety directors to meet safety industry leaders and learn about changing standards, products, innovations, and how robust hand protection programs can help your bottom line. 

There are limited complimentary registrations available. If you are interested in attending this educational seminar, contact the IGA at 814-328-5208 for additional information and to verify your eligibility.

High cost of hand injuries

In the workplace, only the back contributes to more days-away-from-work injuries than the hands. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers reported 140,460 hand injuries that led to lost workdays in 2011, at an incidence rate of 13.9.

A study published in the May 2012 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery concluded that hand and wrist injuries in the Netherlands are more expensive than any other injury type, costing about $740 million (U.S.) annually.

The biggest reason for the high price tag, according to the researchers, is lost productivity - not direct health care costs.

Keep pace with innovations

Education sessions at the 2016 Glove Symposium include the topics of economic understanding, what’s new in the glove industry; understanding current, developing and changing glove standards; and a general session on glove education, new technologies and developments.

Work and specialty gloves are stronger, more flexible, more durable and more versatile than ever before, according to Gilbert LeVerne, Jr., director of marketing for glove manufacturer SHOWA in the Americas and Oceania. New polymers, coatings and hybrid fabrics increase glove properties such as functionality, comfort and gripping ability, and lessen hand fatigue. Better technology creates more waterproof, oil-impermeable and perspiration-preventive gloves to keep hands drier and cleaner.

At the 2016 Glove Symposium you can also learn about high-tech gloves for clean-room applications; more cut-resistant gloves made of Kevlar® coil fiber that don’t sacrifice performance; and more chemical-resistant gloves that can handle grease, oil and extremely abrasive liquids such as acids, caustics and solvents.

Understanding these technological advances is key to selecting gloves for the right applications in your workplace – and also reducing hand injuries and the cost of those injuries.

Ease OSHA compliance

The advanced glove education offered at the symposium will also ease compliance with OSHA’s standard on hand protection, 1910.138. According to the standard, employers shall select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes.

In addition, employers shall base the selection of the appropriate hand protection on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task(s) to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards and potential hazards identified.

The IGA has secured a discounted room rate of $195 + taxes per night at the beautiful Loews Vantana Canyon. Walk out the back doors and step into the natural beauty of the Sonoran desert. For more details, visit www.iga-online.com.