Polyethylene gloves can also be a good alternative to choose, especially for food preparation tasks, care homes and hairdressing. They provide a basic level of protection, and are loose-fitting which makes them easy to wear for new or infrequent users. When compared to the other options, polyethylene gloves don’t provide such a high level of protection - especially in medical or chemical use, or when dealing with sharps. Use polyethylene gloves in low risk, minimal jobs only.
This will ultimately depend on your environment, needs and circumstances - as each type of glove brings different benefits and value.
If your environment is relatively safe, and the tasks you’re undertaking are low risk, the likely choice is vinyl. They’re widely used across the medical and food preparation industries, are flexible and loose fitting - as well as often being the most affordable.
However if you’re needing a higher touch sensitivity, and a more durable option, latex gloves may be more suitable. They’re often more comfortable than vinyl, offering a tighter fit whilst retaining flexibility. They also offer the most environmentally-friendly option out of the three - just ensure that if you’re supplying gloves for others that you’re aware of any allergies.
Choosing nitrile gloves will eliminate the risk of this, and are a superb option if you’re working in higher risk environments. The synthetic rubber used in their composition gives them a close fitting, comfortable feel, while allowing finger dexterity. This makes it ideal for any cleaning, lifting or intricate tasks - not to mention they are resilient to chemicals, oil and sharps. If durability is your main concern, nitrile is the best option - their resilience to higher risk items (sharps, chemicals) is superior to latex and vinyl. When considering from a sustainability viewpoint, they’re a poor choice however, taking an extremely long time to biodegrade.
As you’re making your choice of gloves, consider the risks, tasks, environment and opinions of others who may use the gloves, to ensure you’re making a responsible and safe choice.
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