Safety Gloves for Construction
Construction is the single largest source of hand injuries in Australia, and the hazard changes with every trade on site. Formwork carpenters, steel fixers, concreters and general labour all need different gloves, so a site wide single issue glove usually fails somebody.
Cut & abrasion
Rebar ends, cut mesh, tie wire, sheet metal flashings and broken brick all cut hands during ordinary placement work. Concrete and formwork abrade a glove palm through in days. The properties needed are a cut resistant liner at TDM level C or above and a strong first digit for abrasion so the glove lasts more than a shift.
Impact
Hands are caught between precast panels and props, under swinging loads, and under a hammer during pin and wedge work. These are back of hand injuries, so the glove needs moulded thermoplastic rubber protection carrying the P designation under EN 388 rather than a higher cut level.
Puncture
Protruding nails, screws, star pickets and mesh ends drive straight into the palm when a hand is placed to steady a load. Puncture is reported in the fourth EN 388 position, and a level 3 or 4 result combined with a leather or heavy synthetic palm materially reduces the injury.
Cold exposure
Early starts through winter in Victoria, Tasmania and the alpine areas leave hands cold and clumsy on the first pour of the day, and cold hands drop things. A glove rated under EN 511 for convective cold, worn for the first hours and swapped later, is more practical than an insulated glove worn all day.
What to specify
Build the site specification on EN 388:2016+A1:2018 and read all six characters, since construction hazards span abrasion, cut, tear, puncture and impact at the same time. Add EN 511 for winter work and EN 407 wherever hot work or oxy cutting takes place.
A workable issue is a general handling glove at cut level C for the bulk of the labour force, an impact glove for steel fixing, rigging and precast work, and a leather rigger or welding glove for hot work. Buy for the trade rather than for the site gate.
Recommended gloves
- GRANBERG 9007: Cut Resistant Impact Hi-Viz™ protective gloves. Typhoon® fibre with nitrile coating, oil resistant.
- GRANBERG 5502: High-dexterity impact protection gloves with nitrile foam palm for oil-resistant grip.
- GRANBERG 0811: Lightweight nitrile-coated assembly gloves with contact heat resistance and OEKO-TEX® certification.
- GRANBERG 1190: Cut, impact & arc flash resistant gloves. Goatskin leather with full Kevlar® lining.
Frequently asked questions
What cut level do construction gloves need?
TDM level C covers most general handling of timber, block, formwork and packaging. Steel fixing, sheet metal and glass handling justify level D or above. Read the letter in the fifth EN 388 position rather than the coup test digit, because the letter comes from the more reliable straight blade test.
Do I need impact gloves on a construction site?
They are worth specifying for steel fixing, rigging, precast handling and demolition, where back of hand crush and pinch injuries are common. For carpentry, fit out and general labour an impact glove adds bulk without addressing the dominant hazard, which is cutting and abrasion.
Which gloves suit concrete work?
Wet concrete is strongly alkaline and causes burns on prolonged skin contact, so concreters need a liquid resistant glove such as a nitrile or PVC coated model with a gauntlet cuff, not a breathable knit. Choose a rough or sandy finish for grip on wet screeds and change gloves once the liner wets through.