A new method of ergonomic testing of gloves protecting against cuts and stabs during knife use

The Impact of Protective Gloves on Manual Dexterity in Cold Environments-A Pilot Study

Our research aimed to determine the impact of two types of protective gloves. The research tested the glove performance on men exposed to a range of temperatures reflecting the working conditions in fruit and vegetable processing. The gloves were assessed for performance within the time required to complete a specific manual task and for performance relative to the subjective thermal sensations in the male subjects. Six males participated in a total of 3 study variants: at +5 °C (with double gloves and single glove), at -1 °C (with double gloves and single glove) and in reference conditions +20 °C (without gloves), in which they performed manual tasks. The measurement of manual task performance time was used to assess manual dexterity. Subjective thermal sensations were determined. Differences in the time required to complete specific tasks were observed between the variants with gloves (both at a temperature of +5 °C and -1 °C), and without gloves (p < 0.05). The type of protective gloves had an impact on the time needed to complete manual tasks and therefore may affect manual dexterity.

Case study on the effects of fit and material of sports gloves on hand performance

Active and sports fashion in the high-end market focuses on fit, superior comfort and functional performance for various end-uses. However, the engineering design of sports gloves in relation to hand anthropometry measurements remains unclear. In this study, two types of ready-to-wear sport gloves, namely, war-gaming glove and hiking glove were purchased from the market. The glove dimensions, fabrication properties and the effect of glove fit on hand and finger dexterity were investigated. Thirty female individuals (20-29 years old) participated a series of hand performance tests and subjective perception rating assessments towards the gloves. Results indicated that the active range of motion of fingers, finger tactile sensitivity, gripping strength and ability to handle pegs and marbles decreased with the use of gloves compared with bare hands. The perceptions of comfort and ease of hand motions decreased with the increased of wear time. The glove fit in terms of finger length dimensions was significantly correlated with hand grip force. The glove fit in hand, wrist and finger circumference dimensions had significant impact on the ability to handle small objects. It is suggested that hand length, hand circumference, finger circumference and the ratio of finger length to palm length should be considered in the design and development of gloves to improve hand performance and comfort.