Prevention is a key factor for any organization seeking continual improvement in its occupational health and safety performance. In the hierarchy of controls, elimination of the hazard comes first, and the last line of defence is proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

There are 110,000 lost-time hand injuries annually. Hand injuries send more than one million workers to the emergency room each year. And 70 percent of workers who experience hand injuries are not wearing gloves.

In recent years, technology advancement has allowed manufacturers to create more sophisticated yarns that improve glove performance significantly. The level of cut protection can be increased by using high-performance materials, and by increasing a material's weight.

Selecting chemical protective gloves is a crucial, yet challenging task for safety managers worldwide. Complex portfolios are made even more complicated by evolving standards and regulations, making compliance increasingly difficult in today’s work environments.

The safety industry continues to make strides in the materials and technology used to create cut-resistant gloves, sleeves, and clothing. PPE that used to be made of stiff fabric that trapped heat and moisture is now available in a variety of materials that are more comfortable with each new innovation.

Hand injuries in bolting are far too commonplace in heavy industry, but they can be avoided entirely by removing the pinch point -where hands and fingers are placed in harm's way- through eliminating the use of a reaction arm and backup wrench while performing bolting work.