The type of disposable gloves you are wearing can mean a lot when it comes to bio-medical waste management Fort Lauderdale.
Right now, there are numerous kinds of disposable gloves on the market. Some are good, some not so good. Of course, it can be quite difficult to decide what type of glove to wear on your hands, especially when it concerns handling medical wastes.
How to Select a Disposable Glove for Bio-Medical Waste Management?
One of the biggest dilemmas about disposable gloves and their role in bio-medical waste management is whether to choose a nitrile or a latex disposable glove. Both of these have their pros and cons and this article aims to help you decide between the two.
Both nitrile and latex disposable gloves come in wide varieties. From different thickness (thicker is not always better), to whether they are sterile or non-sterile (you want sterile if you are disposing of infectious waste) and even if they are powdered or non-powdered. And these are just three of the many other options you have to choose between.
Another thing to pay attention to when buying disposable gloves is finger dexterity and how easy or difficult is for your fingers and hand to move while wearing the gloves. This is where tests have shown both types of these gloves to be neck and neck.
Latex Gloves = Flexibility and Comfort, Nitrile Gloves = No Allergies, Resistance
When it comes to latex gloves, which are used more often, they are made from natural rubber, while their counterpart, nitrile gloves, are made from synthetic rubber. For some people, this might be enough to make their decision, especially if they are allergic to real rubber.
Of course, you have to choose your disposable glove, not by color or other such “quality” but by their actual quality. By ensuring that the glove will not rip apart as you handle biohazardous waste and that it will protect your skin, you will make sure that you have made the right choice about your gloves. Pay close attention to this if you are handling infected materials.
One thing that latex gloves have over nitrile ones is that they will usually feel more comfortable and will fit better on your hand. This is mostly due to their high elasticity. On the other hand, nitrile gloves vary somewhat when it comes to flexibility and comfort.
But where nitrile gloves fall behind in terms of comfort, they more than make up to it if a bio-medical waste management worker is allergic to latex, as many people are. Being allergic to rubber can certainly make medical waste disposal a more uncomfortable job than it actually is.
Nitrile gloves, however, have some additional advantages over latex ones. One of them is a slightly higher resistance to punctures. This can be vital when handling sharps. Also, when the nitrile glove is damages, it splits, thus signaling to the wearer that he or she should pull them off and grab another pair. With latex gloves, the wearer can be totally oblivious to any damage on the glove.
Finally, latex gloves cost less than nitrile, so they might be a better option if you a buying in bulk. But take our advice, when it comes to bio-medical waste management Fort Lauderdale, price should never come before safety.
