Agriculture is a wide umbrella for many different tasks that take place in the industry. Workers in the agriculture industry can work on anything from handling chemical herbicides and disinfectants, to dealing with livestock, and processing contaminated soil. Although we picture farmers with rugged hands that are worn from all the tasks and weather they’ve endured, there is certainly a benefit to protecting those hands with the use of gloves.
The chemicals found in herbicides, for example, can be extremely damaging to the skin, so it is vital that anyone responsible for applying such chemicals be properly protected. When caring for livestock, gloves are an essential barrier to protect from the spread of bacteria and other germs, especially when animals are sick. This piece is particularly important because there are serious diseases that can be transferred from livestock to humans.
With all the potential hazards that come with working in the agriculture industry, finding a glove that can stand up to environments filled with chemicals, bacteria, and other contaminants is essential.
Nitrile and Latex Gloves Ideal for Chemicals and Pesticides
Lightweight nitrile gloves are growing in popularity in the agriculture industry because they offer workers durability at an economical price. Since nitrile is a synthetic rubber, it provides the best protection that will not break down in the face of harsh chemicals. This is important because it would be extremely harmful for those workers if chemicals soaked into their skin. Nitrile gloves are also ideal for handling different fluids and oils during maintenance on agriculture equipment.
Second to nitrile is the latex glove. Latex is still suitable for handling plants and plant products, but has become less popular now that nitrile is available at a comparable price.
Vinyl Gloves Ideal for Tending Livestock
When it comes to tasks that deal with tending to livestock, vinyl gloves are the best choice mainly because these tasks require very frequent glove changes. When working with several animals, workers should change gloves between animals to protect against any risk of cross contamination; thus frequent glove changes are a necessity. Vinyl is an inexpensive material that works really well for short duration tasks.
As you search for the appropriate glove for your agriculture task, remember the importance of protecting yourself and choose the best glove for the job at hand.
