ATG Gloves: Comfort is the key to compliance

A worker’s hands are their most valuable asset and should be protected to the greatest extent. When it comes to hand protection at work it is important to choose the right glove for the job. Job tasks are often undertaken in different conditions — wet, dry, high, or low-cut risk, oily cold etc. Ensuring workers are using gloves that are optimised to suit the work environment plays an important part in maintaining workplace safety.

The general thought process is that workers should wear protective gloves while undertaking their work which will therefore reduce the chance of workplace injury. The truth is, most injuries happen at work when gloves are taken off, due to being uncomfortable, too hot to wear, or too restrictive.

“70% of workers who suffer hand injuries were simply not wearing their gloves. Gloves do not protect those who don’t wear them.”

Over the past ten years, workplace injuries have dropped 25% but hand injuries have almost doubled*. We call this the cut protection paradox. Since the introduction of new cut standards in the EU and US, traditional glove manufacturers have been focusing on gloves with higher cut resistance at the expense of, form, fit and feel. Systematically choosing the highest level of cut protection can paradoxically lead to higher risk of injury as users are more inclined to remove hot and uncomfortable gloves.

^{*US stats Source https://data.bis.gov}

If we are really serious about reducing cut-injuries, we need to take a broader look at the challenge at hand. By integrating the different dimensions that influence the risk of injuries (i.e., inherent risk of the work-environment, as well as focusing on the user’s comfort) you will have more success in choosing the glove that is best equipped to stay on the wearer’s hand and optimally protect your workers for the duration of the work-activity.

Focused on innovation and quality, ATG® designs, develops, and manufactures gloves that have the perfect balance between comfort and performance. ATG believe in keeping it simple and offer just four brands that are skin friendly, extremely comfortable, and highly durable. Utilising their technology platforms, they have successfully integrated the required workplace standards with form, fit and feel.

All ATG gloves are dermatologically accredited by the Skin Health Alliance and are post washed prior to packaging enabling them to be guaranteed “fresh out of the pack” as certified by Oeko-Tex®. All ingredients used in the production of ATG gloves are according to REACH and none of ATG product contains SVHC.

At ATG we know from many field visits that the materials you are handling are changing. ATG MaxiCut® Ultra™ gloves are designed for people needing cut protection in challenging environments. They are DMF free and guaranteed free from SVHCs (REACH). Integrating CUTtech® technology for high cut-protection (cut level 5C EN388:2016); with AIRtech® 360° breathability delivers high levels of protection as well as comfort and wearer satisfaction.

ATG MaxiFlex® Ultimate™ gloves incorporate AD-APT® to counter the key challenge of hot hands. This technology is activated by the movement of your hands and increased temperature within the gloves, releasing a natural cooling agent that keeps your hands dry and 31% cooler than in standard gloves. Choosing MaxiFlex gloves can assist with reduced worker hand fatigue as well as reducing your site’s injury frequency rate (IFR); as workers are less likely to remove their gloves due to their hands being too hot, or from having limited dexterity. MaxiFlex Ultimate gloves have outstanding durability, exceeding the highest score required for abrasion resistance in the EN388 standard meaning they last longer than regular gloves, reducing the total cost of ownership.

The ATG MaxiDry® range blends comfort and grip with protection from oils providing you a controlled performance in these difficult conditions. MaxiDry gloves increase grip, are thin, flexible, dexterous, and comfortable.

ATG MaxiChem® is a new generation of chemical resistant gloves that combines worker comfort with optimised grip and skin protection. Built with ATG TRITech™ technology, the gloves are 30% thinner and 100% more comfortable whilst maintaining good mechanical performance.

In an industry driven by outsourcing, ATG is a traditional manufacturer that uses the very latest technologies to deliver class leading gloves. ATG do everything themselves and guarantee that nothing is outsourced.

To learn more visit atg-glovesolutions.com