[Histonet] Re: Gloves

[Merced M Leiker]

I was just doing some research on the original question posted of gloves 
suitable for handling xylene.  Nitrile is a synthetic rubber made of 
acrylnitrile and butadiene, devoid of allergy-causing proteins like in 
latex and natural rubber.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy suggests using nitrile when handling xylenes, 
Ansell suggests either their laminate film gloves, PVA, or nitrile on their 
very detailed chart offering technical permeabilty data (for instance, it 
takes 75 min for xylene to break through their nitrile gloves). Now 
according to OSHA, nitrile does not provide adequate protection, but gives 
other glove types that are in agreement with what is suggested by some of 
the other sites I saw. Some of the sites don't seem to say how THICK these 
gloves are that they are rating, which I think would be a factor for 
permeability rate. Most of Ansell's gloves were quite THICK (like for 
industrial use).

Another factor for permeability would be how long xylene will be in contact 
with your glove, if you change gloves frequently or soon after getting 
xylene on them it seems you'd be ok. I find nitrile (the flexible thin 
healthcare ones) to be pretty cost-effective. At least, I've dipped my 
nitrile-gloved fingers in a xylene bath and when I changed my gloves a few 
minutes later my skin and the inside of the glove was still dry.

References:
http://www.aps.anl.gov/Safety_and_Training/User_Safety/gloveselection.html

http://www.ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_7thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/xylene/recognition.html


Regards,
Merced

--On Wednesday, September 02, 2009 1:53 PM -0400 "Bonner, Janet" 
<Janet.Bonner <@t> FLHOSP.ORG> wrote:

> It says on the box that these aloe touch nitrile gloves are "Latex-free,
> powder-free nitrile examination gloves, single use, non-sterile. Tested
> for use with chemotherapy drugs"     We've had a terrible time with
> getting good gloves, and then when we get some good ones, they are
> replaced the following year with a cheaper brand until our PAs start
> screaming.  You're right - Surgery wouldn't even have to whistle!!
> Janet
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu on behalf of Robert
> Richmond Sent: Wed 9/2/2009 1:34 PM
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Subject: [Histonet] Re: Gloves
>
>
>
> Janet Bonner notes:
>
>> We use Aloe Touch Nitrile gloves, powder-free from Medline (MDS195084
>> for small size)  www.medline.com.        (1-800 - medline) These gloves
>> are not stiff, they fit the hand 'like a glove' .  They say on the box
>> "not intended to be used as a chemical barrier", but they do a great job
>> when exposed to Histology chemicals.<<
>
> Not familiar with this product, but with nitrile rubber gloves brand
> name is important, as the quality of nitrile rubber gloves worsens.
> When they first came out and were made in the USA, I could make a pair
> last for two weeks of grossing. As manufacture moved to the
> latex-producing countries, nitrile rubber (if that's what they
> actually are) gloves became no better than latex. At present I use two
> pairs of gloves when I gross.
>
> There's a little-known product called "chemotherapy gloves" - thick
> blue latex. I filched a box of these and use them - they last for
> several days. Obviously re-using gloves offsets the high initial cost
> of purchase, but that's not good MBA thinking.
>
> OSHA says not to handle formaldehyde (and I suppose xylene) with latex
> gloves, but has not specified an alternative.
>
> It's disgraceful how little the powers that be care about the hands of
> pathologists and histotechnologists. You can bet that if it were
> nurses who had this problem, it'd get solved in a hurry.
>
> Bob Richmond
> Samurai Pathologist
> Knoxville TN
>
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Merced M Leiker
Research Technician II
Cardiovascular Medicine
348 Biomedical Research Building
State University of New York at Buffalo
3435 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214  USA
leiker <@t> buffalo.edu
716-829-6118 (Ph)
716-829-2665 (Fx)

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