Electrical gloves protect your hands and subsequently your body when you work on a charged circuit, or near one. Part of your apparel when working with electricity is having a well-looked after pair of electrical gloves.
Because you should ensure that they do not get any holes in them or that they are damaged, you should probably pack them separately to your toolbox. Even a small flaw in a glove can have bad consequences should you touch a charged circuit.
Insulated overcoats and boot covers are things you should also wear when you are working with high voltage electricity.
Most of these kinds of gloves are made from rubber, usually tested against a certain amount of voltage. The more voltage the glove can handle the higher the rating it receives. The rating system works from 00 to three, with 00 being the lowest.
Gloves at 00 rating are .05mm thick and can withstand 500 volts. The highest rating can stand 26,500 volts and have a thickness of 2.9mm.
Because you will work on many different electrical systems in many different ways, it is often best to get yourself as many different types of gloves as you can. The thick gloves can sometimes hinder work because they are too thick. You’re not always going to need super-protection.
For this reason you should also consider how much the glove allows you flexibility. You want something that’s comfortable and won’t feel like you’re wearing a tire at the end of your hand!
You should regularly test your gloves to make sure that they are not damaged in any way. To keep them in good condition, it’s advised that you only use them when you need them, and only use them for electrical work. Keep the gloves away from chemicals, heat, light and any moisture. There will be certain regulations you must adhere to with your gloves which you can find in your local health and safety laws. Most electricians should know these laws well.
Lining can often help with gloves as well to keep things more comfortable. When you have to use a pair of gloves for a long time it can eventually become very uncomfortable to wear, even if they are comfortable to start with.
You may also want to consider wearing a protective glove over your gloves, such as a leather glove, to help your gloves from getting damaged easily. Of course, take into account your working conditions. Get gloves that fit well and don’t fall off easily and that aren’t too cumbersome. You may even want to get some gloves custom-made.
People often ask if you can use diamond grip gloves for electrical work – or other forms of gloves too, such as cotton work gloves, insulated work gloves, or powder free latex exam gloves.
While these may work in terms of their ability to not conduct electricity, you shouldn’t take chances with just any type of glove here. You could perhaps consider using some of these as a protective glove but that may prove difficult. You really should make sure you get a pair of electrical gloves suited especially for this purpose, otherwise the gloves are not going to help you in dangerous situations.
