Dexterity and Precision Go Hand in Hand. Here's What you Need to Know.

Dexterity and precision go hand in hand. Here's what you need to know.

October 29, 2024
By Carlee Shimek | Blue Print Editorial Team

Gloves: lifesaver or hassle?

No one would ever try to do brain surgery with oven mitts. So why doesn’t that logic apply to all PPE? When precision work requires nimble fingers, gloves should be able to meet the demand. But that’s tricky with how thick and chunky they can be.

Bulky gloves can feel like a barrier between your hands and your work. Almost makes you want to take them off, so your precise work stays, well, precise. Or else, you risk mistakes, defects, and wasted time fixing products.

But working without gloves? That’s not safe. In fact, a quarter of nonfatal injuries happen to hands and wrists.

“Everything you do, whether it's on or off the job, you're using your hands, sense of touch, the ability to grip something,” said Chris Smith, VP of marketing and product for MCR Safety. “So, that's one thing we think about, that injuring your hands can cause life-altering effects.”

While gloves are great for safety, they can also dull essential sensations. In manufacturing, you need both dexterity and an acute sense of touch. Here’s how to keep them both.

Watch out

Understanding how hand injuries happen is crucial. The most common culprits? Lacerations followed by abrasions.

But here’s the kicker: Lacerations don’t always come from just a cut. They start from an abrasion on a pair of worn-down gloves. They can also start from a small puncture in the glove that then exposes the palm.

Not only that, but you also need to pay attention to materials. Most people focus on metal as the main threat. In reality, cardboard, plastic, and corrugated materials can cut just as sharp as metal. Gloves are your first line of defense against any sharp edge.

The solution

So how do you compromise between protecting a worker’s hands and their desire for more precise work? The answer is simple, but the application requires some innovation: Make the gloves thinner WITHOUT making them weaker! It’s possible to create gloves with more dexterity while retaining safety.

Typical safety gloves ten years ago ranged around seven-gauge knit fibers. Nowadays, they’ve upgraded to 18- to 21-gauge.

“Gauge of fiber is very similar to electrical wire. The higher you go in gauge, the finer the denier of the yarn, hence the better dexterity on your hand,” said Smith.

When it comes to protecting your worker’s most essential tool – their hands – you want the best of both worlds. You want safety and dexterity.