Choosing the Right Gloves for Handling Insecticides

When handling insecticides it is important to wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Insecticide labels provide the minimum PPE requirements that must be worn when handling containers, spraying, mixing, loading, or conducting maintenance on the sprayer.

Glove Selection
Chemical resistant gloves are listed as required PPE for almost all insecticide related activities. Wearing the proper gloves when handling insecticide products prevents exposure to the skin on the hands. Insecticides can penetrate skin on different parts of the body to varying degrees. While the skin on the palms is thicker, exposure to the hands also poses a risk of exposing other parts of the body where insecticides ran cross more readily.

Material & Chemical Resistance
The PPE section of the label lists what materials are chemically resistant to the ingredients in the product. These materials refer to any of the PPE that will be worn. Table 1 lists the glove materials that are recommended for use when handling chemicals with the associated solvents present in them. It is important to note the level of resistance that is listed for each glove type. Table 2 provides glove recommendations for common insecticides used in South Dakota.

Material Type
The ratings explanation for the types of materials is listed below:

• High: glove materials with this rating are highly resistant to the associated solvent. These types of gloves should be cleaned or replaced at the end of each use or the end of the day. They should still be rinsed off at rest breaks to reduce the potential for exposure.
• Moderate: glove materials with this rating are moderately resistant to the associated solvent. These types of gloves should be cleaned or replaced within 1-2 hours of exposure.
• Slight: glove materials with this rating are slightly resistant to the associated solvent. These types of gloves should be cleaned or replaced within 10 minutes of exposure.
• None: glove materials with the none rating have no resistance to the associated solvent. These should not be used.

Of the different materials available for gloves, barrier laminate gloves are highly resistant to all of the listed solvents. Although nitrile rubber and butyl rubber gloves are not highly resistant to all products, they are less expensive and can be cleaned properly to maintain their function. In some cases, it is recommended to wear a barrier laminate glove as a liner to a butyl rubber or nitrile rubber glove. This will ensure proper protection from exposure while minimizing the risk for glove failure due to a tear.

For more information on selecting gloves, click here to read the entire article.

Source: Adam J. Varenhorst, iGrow