Glacier Boats of Alaska - Builder's Forums
Great Alaskan and Boat Building => Health and Safety => Topic started by: DEPTHCHARGE on January 13, 2010, 07:04:36 PM
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When alot of guys build, they like to wear latex gloves to protect thier hands. Especially when working with epoxy and fiberglass.
As a nurse, me and my coworkers wear latex gloves frequently and for long periods on occasion. People sometimes develop a latex allergy after a period of time, usually showing as a bad rash to the hands with itching and burning. They then have to use nitrile gloves as these are synthetic (but more expensive), and are fine.
Don't forget the basics. Always wear a dust mask when sanding, Mix and pour epoxy in a well ventilated area, etc.
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Actually, I always recommend nitrile gloves when working with epoxy. Hands sweat and while biohazards won't go through latex, that I know of (?), chemical can. The sweat can help communicate chemicals in hardeners and other boat building chemicals through to your skin, and solvents can go through latex as well. The place to look for Nitrile gloves is your local auto parts store. If they don't have them, look to your local supplier for auto body repair shops. Buy the stretchy ones, not the silly clear plastic ones that fit loosely on your hands, and greatly prefer those that go up your wrist a couple of inches. When reaching over long sticky surfaces, wear Tyvek sleeve guards. If you, like me when I was living in Fairbanks, can't get nitrile gloves very easily, at least look for heavy-duty latex ...not the drugstore type that your doctor uses with that little tube of silicon lube that nobody loves. Same rules for the gloves going up your wrists a bit.
Just my 2-bits. I go through a lot of gloves.
Brian
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When alot of guys build, they like to wear latex gloves to protect thier hands. Especially when working with epoxy and fiberglass.
As a nurse, me and my coworkers wear latex gloves frequently and for long periods on occasion. People sometimes develop a latex allergy after a period of time, usually showing as a bad rash to the hands with itching and burning. They then have to use nitrile gloves as these are synthetic (but more expensive), and are fine.
Don't forget the basics. Always wear a dust mask when sanding, Mix and pour epoxy in a well ventilated area, etc.
I absolutely agree with your statement. I am also using latex gloves when working with this job. With this kind, our hand is very sensitive with that element.
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I worked 12 hour shifts in cleanrooms and we had to wear latex gloves in the cleanroom. I developed a rash and it took several years to go away (after stopping work in the cleanrooms) The odd thing is, I have never had a problem with a rash when using gloves while building the Tolman, and I literally used 100's of latex gloves. I don't think the gloves where a higher quality, I think it comes down to just not wearing them for the same long stretches day after day.
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When building the boat, I'll bet that your hands don't spend as many continuous hours in the same pair of gloves, while in the clean room they do. One thing to keep in mind is that sweating inside the glove helps chemicals communicate through the glove and also into your skin. Changing gloves on a regular basis like you do when building a boat probably lets them dry out far more often, no? Just a guess on my part... having allergies is no fun though.
Brian
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;D I pinched them from the hospital when visiting .......... carton at a time ???
Nitrile, large, good idea is to put 3 prs on, peal off the sticky one as I work.....