Assessing the impact of industrial glove use on perceived hand dexterity, function, and strength

Prevention of musculoskeletal occupational hazards is an important topic in extractive industries. This study quantifies the impact of three styles of industrial metacarpal gloves on dexterity, gripping, pinching, and torquing tasks. Results indicated that wearing metacarpal gloves duplicated the time to complete a dexterity task from an average of 57 s for bare hands to 127 s for gloved hands. The highest drop in gripping force occurred while wearing a thicker glove, while gloves with thinner palmar sides produced smaller but similar force re-ductions of around 6%. The highest pinching force was obtained while wearing the thinnest glove, with a rise of 15%. Self-perception of exertion while wearing gloves varied between genders. Given that dexterity, grip, and pinch strength outcomes varied based on glove materials, the authors propose a new hand safety concept model to promote a multi-factorial approach to balance the risks and benefits of prospective personal protective equipment.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of three styles of industrial metacarpal gloves on workers' dexterity, gripping, pinching, and torquing tasks. The results show that wearing gloves significantly increases the time required to complete dexterity tasks and has varying effects on gripping and pinching forces. The study also finds gender differences in self-perception while wearing gloves.