ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Disposable single use gloves are one of the most frequently overlooked aspects of providing teams with the most appropriate cleaning equipment, but they ought to be one of the basics, especially when it comes to colour coding – says Chris Wahlers of Unigloves.

Disposable single use gloves are one of the most frequently overlooked aspects of providing teams with the most appropriate cleaning equipment, but they ought to be one of the basics, especially when it comes to colour coding, which it is now possible to adopt holistically, thanks to the advent of the yellow nitrile glove. Cleaning operatives should also always be provided with correctly fitting gloves for use; so your team will be better able to work more effectively, safely and efficiently.

Cleaning is, by its nature, largely a hands-on occupation.  Although there are specialist machines for certain functions such as floor polishing and high level window cleaning, a great many cleaning tasks are still carried out most effectively by hand, by well trained and equipped operatives. Strange then, that we often give so little thought to protecting the hands of those employees whose work depends on them; and that we often overlook them in applying colour coding.

Most cleaning companies now follow a colour coding system, often using red equipment, buckets, cloths, etc for washrooms and bathrooms, green for kitchen areas and blue for general areas such as bedrooms, offices and hallways.  Yellow equipment is frequently used in care settings and for those situations requiring careful infection control. Until recently it hasn’t been possible to follow these colour allocations through to the specification of gloves, as not all colours were available in all types of gloves. This is a situation that manufacturers have been addressing.

In the absence of a yellow glove it was not possible to follow the colour code when it came to nitrile gloves, which was unfortunate given the importance of infection control. However we have as manufacturers worked hard to overcome this and can now support the adoption of colour coding more comprehensively.  Nitrile gloves now come in yellow as well as red, blue and green, so that the colour code can now be followed by all cleaners.

In a highly competitive industry, being able to include holistic colour coding as part of a tender document when bidding for new contracts serves to demonstrate to the prospective client that the bidder pays great attention to detail. Furthermore full colour coding is an advantage when managing cleaning teams.

The complete avoidance of cross-contamination is particularly vital in care settings, so colour coding is more essential here than elsewhere; yet this has been, until now, the one area in which it was not possible to follow the yellow colour coding. In the past cleaners had to be issued either with an alternative colour or a colourless glove; this diluted the message of keeping equipment segregated.

Sticking to procedures

This may seem a trivial distinction, but in an industry which employs technicians who may not speak the same language as team leaders fluently, or may be hearing impaired, it may be difficult to convey or to understand the importance of adherence to cross-contamination prevention procedures. Strict colour coding, including gloves, overcomes this problem with simplicity. If each member of the team has colour coded gloves, as well as buckets, cloths, etc the supervisor can spot at a glance if a member of the team is not properly equipped, or even if they are working in a different area to the one allocated to them.

For contracts on which it is important to reflect the client’s own corporate identity throughout the cleaning provider’s team members, there is a further possibility for using colour coding. There is a large range of standard colours already available on the market, one of which can blend with the client’s corporate colours. If not, an innovative glove manufacturer can also make coloured gloves to order, provided the order meets a minimum quantity, matching a special corporate colour to provide exclusivity and added attention to detail.

It is surprising how much the choice of disposable glove can affect hand health and well-being; the wrong size can have both long and short term ill effects and too cheap a glove can actually cost you more in the long run – and risk the health of your operatives.

Understandably, in an industry with relatively small margins, frequently the biggest driver is cost; but this shouldn’t be the only consideration when purchasing disposable single use gloves.  A common practice is to purchase the very cheapest disposable glove on the market; but the lowest price tag comes with a lower quality, which will not usually save you money in the long run; it can instead be a false economy.

Must fit well

One size really does not fit all.  It is important to use well-fitting gloves, as they will be worn for a number of hours at a time. Too large a glove may be uncomfortable or even chafe slightly while in use, but too small a glove will cause hand fatigue, which can have a negative effect on the quality of the work performed by the operative. More seriously, continued and repeated use of too tight a glove can contribute to the development of repetitive strain injury (RSI) the consequence of which is usually increased staff absence.

Employers have a legal duty to prevent work-related RSI conditions from developing where possible and to make sure that the symptoms of anyone who already has the condition don’t increase.  It is wise, therefore, to include gloves as part of a risk assessment for any cleaners vulnerable to RSI due to the repetitive nature of their work.  A range of glove sizes should be provided so that each operative can benefit from a comfortable fit that will allow them to work with as much ease of movement and comfort as possible.

The main types of disposable single use gloves are vinyl, nitrile and latex. Each has its benefits and, as you would expect, the selection of the most appropriate depends on its intended use. 
In certain applications latex gloves are both practical and more cost effective in the long run as they last well and are comfortable to wear. For this reason they are often favoured by medical professionals such as surgeons. They can also be a good choice for intricate cleaning tasks which require a good degree of dexterity.

Vinyl gloves have a lower price and can represent good value for money; but not all vinyl gloves are the same. It is essential to choose a good quality vinyl glove from a manufacturer that adheres to best practice and the highest standards of manufacture. A cleaner will be expected to wear the same pair of gloves for hours at a time, so comfort, quality and durability are important.

Very cheap vinyl gloves will often split while the cleaner is using them and this leads to one of two practices, both of which should be avoided. In some cases, cleaning operatives will simply carry on with their work despite the reduced protection from a damaged glove. This means their skin is at risk from becoming dry or cracked due to prolonged immersion in water, or it can mean that their skin comes into contact with cleaning fluids and chemicals which cause irritation, so they may develop an ongoing skin problem.

In time, as operatives recognise that this is a habitual problem caused by poor quality gloves, many will adopt the habit of ‘double gloving’, wearing a second pair of gloves over the first.  While this sounds like a good idea it can reduce the mobility of the hand, causing fatigue and strain on the muscles. This, of course, may cause increased RSI and result in personnel absence, but it can also impact the bottom line. Eventually double-gloving has the potential to double the cost of the glove budget, when a better quality glove would have kept it at a more appropriate level by encouraging single glove use.

Savings to be made

This kind of overspending is quite difficult to identify as an operational problem, as it becomes something of a norm, but there are potential savings to be made if a good quality glove in the correct range of sizes is specified from the outset. If your organisation is using a very cheap glove, it is worth reviewing working practices to discover whether double gloving is pushing up costs.

The nitrile glove is an excellent mid-range option for cleaning companies. It is more durable and very comfortable to wear; as well as delivering a full colour range. Choosing a glove that has been textured to aid grip is advisable and a well-fitted cuff is also important. Comfort and fit are worth paying slightly more for, even though these are disposable items, as they encourage
hand well-being and, therefore, better performance and improved results.

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of the single use disposable glove, but providing your team with the right ones can hand you a valuable extra advantage. 

www.unigloves.co.uk