The most demanding scientific applications require a glove that offers the perfect balance of precision, protection and comfort. Inadequate or compromised gloves can increase the risk of self-contamination or other injuries to the scientist, and the consequences can be significant.
Research has shown that 30% of people who experience a hand injury were wearing the wrong kind of glove. And the indirect costs of an injury can be 4-10 times the amount of direct medical costs. Unplanned downtime is another severe consequence: the average time off work for a hand injury is six days.
Although many gloves may look alike, not all gloves can protect the integrity of science and the safety of scientists. There are several questions to ask when selecting gloves for a lab or cleanroom. The first is simply, “are the gloves comfortable”? Are they designed to minimise hand fatigue? Protection is the next point to address: what type of overall protection do the gloves provide? Do they shield the scientist from a wide range of chemicals? With regard to precision, it’s worth asking “are the gloves strong enough to withstand the work conditions in your lab while offering tactile sensitivity, dexterity and good grip, even when wet?”. Finally, the question of disposal should be addressed. What happens to the gloves after use? Are they sent to a landfill or can they be recycled?
After extensive research and development, Kimberly-Clark Professional has introduced two new gloves that meet the criteria above: Kimtech Prizm multi-layered neoprene nitrile gloves and Kimtech Prizm Xtra multi-layered neoprene nitrile gloves.
The gloves were developed specifically for higher risk lab environments in the biotech, non-sterile pharmaceutical and university research fields, where science and safety must work hand-in-hand.
Designed for scientists by scientists, the new gloves are crafted with a combination of polymers proven to protect against a wide range of common chemicals. An innovative technology ensures that the multi-layer neoprene-nitrile glove is one of the thinnest Type A certified gloves on the market, making it a top choice for the most demanding scientific applications.
The gloves also offer an enhanced fingertip grip, helping to reduce the risk of drops and breakage, even when wet. They deliver certified ergonomic comfort and dexterity, without compromising protection and a vibrant colour combination of dark violet and dark magenta serves as a quick cue if the laboratory glove has been cut, torn or damaged in any way during use.
The gloves are PPE Cat III certified according to PPE Regulations (EU) 2016/425 and EN ISO 374-1:2016 Type A (JKLMPT) chemical splash protection, EN ISO 374-5:2016 micro-organism and virus protection and tested according to ASTM D6978-05 against a wide range of cytotoxic drugs. They are latex and powder-free with a nitrile accelerator-free donning layer to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Ambidextrous with a beaded cuff for strength, the gloves are available in a wide range of sizes to ensure proper fit.
A second life
In addition to these benefits, the gloves can be recycled through The RightCycle Programme. This service enables research and manufacturing facilities, universities and a variety of businesses to collect previously hard-to-recycle items, such as Kimberly-Clark Professional nitrile gloves and single-use apparel items, and convert them into new consumer goods.