Choosing Gloves Based On Test Criteria
An enormous amount of information can be gleaned from the various
tests to which gloves are subjected. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) regulates the manufacture of all gloves, to ensure they meet
certain performance criteria. These include process average AQL
(pinhole rate), tensile strength, elongation, thickness and length.
Additional criteria that are not required by the FDA but that can
be helpful in glove selection include bacteriophage penetration
resistance, puncture resistance, tear resistance, chemical resistance,
residual levels of accelerators and ISO 9001/9002 certification.
The following reference materials will give you an overview of
the various testing methods, as well as insights to how these results
can be used to select the optimal glove.
Avoiding Performance Anxiety: The State of Glove Performance
Considerations*
Discusses the various performance tests that gloves undergo, as
well as the range of glove materials available and their recommended
uses.
Barrier Protection: Illusion or Reality?
Insights on glove quality and the standards and tests used to ensure
effective barrier protection.
> Choosing and Using the
Right Surgical Glove
An explanation of performance and physical requirements, as well
as key design and manufacturing factors, to take into consideration
when choosing a surgical glove.
> Performance Standards:
Measuring the Effectiveness of Protective Clothing
This overview of the tests performed on personal protective equipment
was designed to help clinicians assess the performance of products
as well as the products' appropriate usage.
Many of the documents referenced on this page are
available in Adobe Acrobat format. To download the free viewer
from Adobe's site, >
click here.
*Reproduced with permission from the August, 2001, issue of Managing
Infection Control magazine. Copyright 2001, Workhorse Publishing.
All Rights Reserved.
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