What are Nitrile Gloves?: Everything you Need to Know
Caring for others, whether as a home carer or professional caregiver, comes with unique responsibilities. Ensuring cleanliness, safety, and comfort is essential when supporting someone with tasks like changing bandages, assisting with continence aids, or helping maintain their living space. That’s where nitrile gloves come in.
These disposable gloves are an essential part of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), creating a barrier that protects your hands and helps prevent the spread of germs. Whether you’re a family member, a support worker, or caring for someone with a disability, nitrile gloves can help make caregiving safer and more hygienic.
What are Nitrile Gloves?
Originally created to be used in medical and examination applications, nitrile gloves were developed by American inventors Neil Tillotson and Luc DeBecker in the 1980s. Since then, the slow-to-acceptance product has become a popular choice for caregivers due to its strength, comfort, and versatility.
Made from synthetic rubber, which involves the mixing of two synthetic polymers in the manufacturing process, these gloves are three times more puncture-resistant than latex, have excellent chemical resistance, and are less likely to trigger allergies.
This makes them ideal for handling everyday caregiving tasks safely, including those involving contact with body fluids or cleaning solutions.
Powder VS. Powder-Free Nitrile Gloves
Nitrile gloves come in two types: powdered and powder-free.
Powdered gloves make it easier to put gloves on. Powder is used to reduce the risks of tearing or damaging the gloves when donning. They also make it easier for those who have sweaty hands to put on, saving time for the user.
Powder-free gloves are a better option for skin sensitivity, as they don’t contain any powder that might cause irritation or allergies. They’re also highly resistant to punctures, making them a reliable choice for caregiving tasks.
Benefits of Using Nitrile Gloves
Nitrile gloves offer several advantages for home and professional caregivers:
- Strong and durable: They resist tears and punctures, even during tasks requiring precision.
- Chemical resistance: Great for handling cleaning products or other substances.
- Comfortable fit: They’re designed to provide flexibility and ease of movement, so you can handle delicate tasks with confidence.
- Longer shelf life: Unlike natural rubber gloves, nitrile gloves last longer in storage without degrading.
- Allergy-friendly: Made without latex, nitrile gloves are safe for most users.
Everyday Uses for Nitrile Gloves
Caregiving involves many responsibilities where nitrile gloves can make a difference:
- Personal care: Whether helping someone bathe, dress wounds, or change continence aids, gloves protect both the carer and the person being cared for.
- Household tasks: Caregivers often assist with maintaining a safe and clean living space. Nitrile gloves offer protection while handling mild cleaning products or messy tasks.
- Food preparation: If you assist with preparing meals, these gloves provide a hygienic option, especially when dealing with oils, fats, or raw ingredients.
Certifications and Standards
Selecting the appropriate nitrile gloves also involves understanding relevant certifications and standards that guarantee quality and protection.
Australian Standards for Protective Gloves
- AS/NZS 2161 Series: This series encompasses various standards for occupational protective gloves, aligning closely with European Norms (EN). Key parts include:
o AS/NZS 2161.2:2020: Specifies general requirements for glove design, construction, and user information, ensuring gloves are safe and comfortable for extended use.
o AS/NZS 2161.3:2020: Focuses on protection against mechanical risks such as abrasion, blade cuts, tears, and punctures. This standard adopts the European EN 388:2016 standard, providing performance levels to help users select appropriate gloves for specific tasks.
o AS/NZS 2161.10:2005: Addresses protection against chemicals and micro-organisms, equivalent to EN 374. It evaluates gloves' resistance to chemical permeation and penetration, crucial for tasks involving exposure to hazardous substances.
HACCP Certification
For caregivers involved in food preparation, gloves certified by the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system are essential. HACCP certification ensures that gloves are safe for food contact and help prevent contamination, maintaining high food safety standards.
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Certification
Medical-grade nitrile gloves used in healthcare settings should be registered with the TGA. This registration confirms that the gloves meet Australia's safety, quality, and performance requirements for medical devices, ensuring reliable protection during medical procedures.
Understanding Glove Markings
Certified gloves often feature specific markings indicating compliance with relevant standards:
- CE Mark: Indicates conformity with European standards. While common in Australia, it's important to verify that such gloves also meet AS/NZS standards.
- EN 388 and EN 374 Symbols: Accompanied by performance levels, these symbols provide information on a glove's resistance to mechanical and chemical risks, respectively. Higher numbers or letters denote greater protection levels.
Choosing the Right Nitrile Gloves
There are a range of nitrile gloves made for different applications and purposes. Things like thickness, length and other features can impact where these gloves should be used. When choosing nitrile gloves, consider the following:
· Task Requirements: Identify the specific tasks—such as personal care, handling chemicals, or food preparation—to determine the necessary protection level.
· Certification Verification: Ensure gloves have appropriate certifications (e.g., AS/NZS standards, HACCP, TGA) relevant to their intended use.
· Comfort and Fit: Opt for gloves that provide a comfortable fit and tactile sensitivity, essential for tasks requiring precision.
Nitrile Gloves vs. Other Gloves
Not all disposable gloves are the same, however, and when it comes to deciding which products to procure, there are a number of factors to consider. Ultimately, you will need to choose between vinyl, latex or nitrile gloves, depending on what the gloves are for.
Vinyl gloves are affordable and suitable for light, short-term tasks like food handling, but they lack the durability needed for caregiving.
Latex gloves provide greater strength against punctures and tears than vinyl. They are also comfortable, being able to stretch to fit the wearer. Latex, however, is a common allergy with 1 in 6 people across the globe allergic to it. This is an important factor to consider when purchasing gloves.
Nitrile gloves, on the other hand, are the strongest and most reliable option, making them better for higher-risk applications that require longer durations of use, and where chemicals are being handled. Developed as an alternative to latex, which has lost popularity due to allergy risks, nitrile is chemically complex, involving the mixing of two synthetic polymers in the manufacturing process.
This increases cost, but the material’s strong bonds give the gloves their physical strength and chemical resistance. And while less tactile than latex, nitrile gloves are getting ever-thinner without compromising on quality or durability thanks to advances in technology.
Why Choose Nitrile Gloves?
Nitrile gloves are a practical, reliable choice for carers, family members, and individuals with disabilities. They’re designed to make caregiving tasks safer and easier, offering excellent protection and comfort. Whether you’re helping with personal care, maintaining hygiene, or handling everyday tasks, nitrile gloves provide the confidence you need to give the best care possible.