How to Choose the Right Firefighter Gloves

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In the flames, crisis at the scene of the fire, firefighters every time they reach out to operate tools, every time they carry objects with their bare hands, are faced with high temperatures, sharp objects, chemical substances and other multiple threats. And a pair of suitable fire gloves, as strong as the armour, for their hands to build a safety line of defence. So, how to choose the right firefighting gloves? Next, we will provide you with detailed answers.

What Are Firefighting Gloves?

Firefighting gloves are personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect against burns, abrasions, and other types of hazards. To ensure their quality and protection, these gloves are often subject to the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) stringent design and protection standards. Manufacturers must pass rigorous testing by an independent third party, and only gloves that meet the NFPA standards can be trusted to provide safety for the fire service.

Classification of firefighter Gloves

According to different usage scenarios and functional requirements, firefighting gloves are mainly classified into the following three categories:

Structural Firefighting Gloves: applicable to conventional fire fighting scenarios, able to resist hazards such as high temperature, flashover, flashback, high temperatures vapour and sharp objects. objects and other hazards. These gloves are designed to strike a balance between dexterity and thermal protection, allowing firefighters to be flexible in their operations while effectively resisting high temperatures. ·

Rescue and Demolition Gloves: designed for traffic accident rescue, building collapse rescue and other scenarios, especially suitable for urban search and rescue operations. It pays more attention to grip and dexterity, helping firefighters avoid being cut, punctured or bruised by materials such as shrapnel when operating tools. It also provides protection from harmful materials commonly found at rescue scenes, such as fuel, battery acid and body fluids. ·

Wildland Firefighting Gloves: Since wildland fires tend to be hotter than regular fires, these gloves place an emphasis on fire protection and insulation. The material is usually lighter and more breathable, while maintaining a certain degree of dexterity so that firefighters can use special tools for wildland firefighting.

Essential Elements of Firefighting Gloves

Heat Protection

Protection against heat is a top priority for firefighting gloves. Materials such as leather, Kevlar and Nomex are important choices for thermal protection due to their excellent insulating properties. Even the stitching of the gloves is specially treated to remain stable and non-degradable in high temperatures. In addition, when a firefighter's jacket slips, potentially exposing the hand, the elongated gauntlet design fills in the gaps and provides additional thermal protection.

Puncture, Water, Chemical and Pathogen Resistance

In addition to heat, gloves need to cope with a wide range of other hazards. Cut-resistant panels on the side of the palm and fingers protect against punctures, abrasions and cuts, while protective linings block water, chemicals and pathogens from coming into contact with the skin. Data shows that 13 per cent of injuries at fire scenes in 2022 will result from cuts, lacerations, bleeding and abrasions, 9 per cent from fire or chemical burns and 7 per cent from heat stress. Gloves with these protective features can significantly reduce these risks.

Dexterity

Although firefighting gloves are usually thick, it is also important to ensure dexterity in the hands of firefighters. The flexibility and texture of the glove material has a direct impact on dexterity. To enhance grip, manufacturers often add texture to the surface of the glove, making it easier for firefighters to grasp tools, press intercom buttons and more. At the same time, proper sizing is critical, as gloves that are too loose can affect operational agility, while gloves that are too tight can compress the material and reduce thermal insulation.

Comfortable Donning and Doffing

In an emergency, it is vital that gloves are donned and doffed quickly. However, this is at odds with the tightness of the gloves. A glove that is too loose is easy to put on, but may affect grip; a glove that fits too snugly may be difficult to remove in wet conditions. Some firefighters choose slightly larger gloves for quicker donning and doffing in emergencies. Manufacturers take this into account when designing gloves, e.g. using appropriately sized openings and avoiding the use of plush, soft linings, to improve ease of donning and doffing.

Breathability

Sweat build-up in gloves not only affects grip and comfort, but may also affect thermoregulation. Breathable materials prevent perspiration from building up, allowing firefighters to keep their hands dry during long periods of operation, enhancing operational safety and comfort.

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Comfortable Fit

If the gloves are not comfortable to wear, even if the protection performance is good, it is difficult to play a role. Firefighters work hard and for a long time, comfortable and well-fitting gloves can effectively reduce hand fatigue and keep them in good condition during long-time operation.

Superior Agility and Grip

Suitable firefighting gloves should have excellent dexterity and grip. Gloves that are too heavy and awkward will reduce reaction times and impair the handling of hoses and tools. Good quality gloves should be compact in design and provide exceptional dexterity while maintaining protection.

A Design That Will Hold Up

Firefighting gloves are used frequently and in harsh environments, resulting in a limited lifespan and often a short warranty. While expensive gloves may be durable, they are not the only option. It is recommended to maximise value for money by choosing gloves with good durability and safety features within a reasonable budget.

Washable Materials

Firefighting gloves come into contact with a variety of substances such as water, debris, blood, etc. during use, so it is important that they are easy to clean. Some high-quality firefighting gloves are made of breathable, easy-to-clean, quick-drying materials. It is important to note that gloves should not be dried at high temperatures after washing, but should be dried naturally or tumble dried at low temperatures.

Hand Protection

Fire scenes and rescue environments are full of tools, equipment and debris that can injure the hands. Choose gloves with anti-squeeze, heat-resistant, anti-sharp and rough material characteristics, can provide all-round protection for the hand.

How to Measure Your Hands for Structural Firefighter Gloves

NFPA has developed a new sizing guide that allows firefighters to purchase gloves with a better fit by accurately measuring their hand size. The measurement steps are as follows:

Measure the length of the index finger from tip to root to the nearest millimetre and record.

Measure the width of the palm knuckle and record.

Find the proper size by matching the measurements to the NFPA Firefighting Glove Size Chart.

Once you have found a similar size, be sure to try it on. Note the following two things when trying on:

Dexterity: Test the ease of grasping an object to make sure the glove will not be wrinkled by the material, and check the dexterity of the fingertips by trying to adjust the intercom channel and unlock the phone with the glove on. ·

Gripping power: feel the gripping performance of the gloves by grasping nearby objects; if the hand slides inside the gloves, the gripping power may be affected.

Conclusion

Choosing the right firefighting gloves is the key to protect the firefighters' hand safety and enhance the rescue efficiency. From understanding the classification of gloves, the key elements, to grasp the purchase advice and size measurement method, each link should not be ignored. I hope this article can help you scientifically buy firefighting gloves for firefighters to provide solid and reliable protection for their hands.

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