Safety Gloves for Medical and Healthcare
Healthcare staff put gloves on and take them off dozens of times a shift, and the cumulative effect of that on skin is a genuine occupational health issue alongside the infection control requirement. The right specification protects the patient and the wearer at the same time.
Biological
Blood, body fluids and contaminated instruments present bacterial and viral exposure at every patient contact. The property required is EN ISO 374-5 certification, and specifically the word VIRUS printed beneath the biohazard pictogram, which confirms the glove passed the ISO 16604 viral penetration test rather than only the bacterial and fungal requirement.
Chemical exposure
Alcohol rubs, chlorine releasing disinfectants, glutaraldehyde in instrument reprocessing and cytotoxic medicines all contact the glove and, over time, the skin. Standard examination gloves are not certified for sustained chemical contact, so reprocessing and cytotoxic handling need gloves with EN ISO 374-1 data for those specific substances.
Skin irritation
Frequent hand hygiene, occlusion under a glove for long periods and residual accelerators in the glove film combine to cause irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. The properties that help are powder free construction, accelerator reduced formulations and, for affected staff, gloves with a moisturising inner treatment.
Cross-contamination
The greatest infection control failure is a glove worn between patients or tasks. No material specification prevents this. What helps is a glove that dons easily on damp hands and removes cleanly, so that changing gloves is quick enough that staff actually do it at every point of care.
What to specify
Specify powder free single use nitrile with EN ISO 374-5 certification carrying the VIRUS marking for general clinical use, and confirm the AQL, which should be 1.5 for medical work. Add EN ISO 374-1 gloves with documented breakthrough data for instrument reprocessing and cytotoxic handling.
Where staff or patients have skin problems, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified fabric gloves and moisturising lined examination gloves are worth stocking alongside the standard range, and avoiding natural rubber latex removes the Type I allergy risk entirely.
Recommended gloves
- GRANBERG 925: Disposable COATS® nitrile gloves with colloidal oatmeal lining. Skin-healing, medical-grade, virus and chemical resistant.
- GRANBERG 0155: Children's eczema gloves. Soft bamboo viscose fibre to reduce scratching and protect sensitive skin.
- GRANBERG 0160: Adult eczema gloves. Hypoallergenic bamboo viscose for healing, moisturizing, and overnight comfort.
Frequently asked questions
What certification should clinical examination gloves carry?
Look for EN ISO 374-5 with the word VIRUS printed under the biohazard pictogram, confirming the glove passed the ISO 16604 viral penetration test, together with an AQL of 1.5 from batch water leak testing and powder free construction. Nitrile avoids the natural rubber latex allergy risk.
Why are powdered gloves no longer used in healthcare?
Cornstarch powder carries latex proteins into the air and contributes to respiratory sensitisation, contaminates surfaces and wounds, and interferes with healing. Powder free gloves use chlorination or an internal polymer coating as a donning aid instead, and powder free is now the standard expectation.
How can staff reduce glove related hand dermatitis?
Use powder free, accelerator reduced gloves, dry hands fully before donning, avoid wearing gloves for longer than the task requires, and apply an emollient at the end of each shift. Where symptoms persist, moisturising lined examination gloves and OEKO-TEX certified fabric gloves are worth trialling.