Electrical Insulating Gloves
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Electrical-insulating gloves, sometimes called lineman's gloves, are worn by electricians working on power lines. Without proper work gloves, these jobs can lead to shock and cause serious injuries. Salisbury lineman’s gloves are made of dielectric materials to meet ASTM D120 specifications and NFPA 70E standards to protect workers from electrical hazards.
A typical setup consists of insulated rubber gloves and leather glove protectors (worn over the lineman’s gloves) to protect against pinholes or punctures that can damage rubber gloves and compromise their ability to protect the wearer from shock. Gloves and protectors are sold individually, or in convenient Salisbury glove kits.
Wearing large rubber gloves and protectors will be bulky. They take time getting used to, and they take practice to learn how to work while wearing them.
The layers are necessary in most cases. If the gloves have imperfections, cuts, or pinholes, they cannot be used. The leather protectors help prevent wires and tools from damaging the rubber gloves.
Lineman's Glove Class and Type
Electrical-insulating rubber gloves are categorized by voltage class (Class) and resistance to ozone (Type). Type II electrical-insulating gloves resist cracking and degradation caused by exposure to high levels of ozone that can be found in high-pollution areas, whereas Type I are not ozone resistant. Workers should use a type and voltage class rating that matches the requirements set by their job site. They are designed to meet ASTM D120 and IEC EN60903 regulations to ensure electrical workers' protection from the hazards of their job.
High Voltage Glove Classes:
- Class 00: up to 500V AC and 750V DC
- Class 0: up to 1,000V AC and 1,500V DC
- Class 1: up to 7,500V AC and 11,250V DC
- Class 2: up to 17,000V AC and 25,500V DC
- Class 3: up to 26,500V AC and 39,750V DC
- Class 4: up to 36,000V AC and 54,000V DC
High Voltage Glove Sizing
Figuring out what glove size is right for you is easy. The glove sizes are standardized between manufacturers per ASTM D120 requirements, give or take half an inch.
Measuring around the width of your palm will give you the approximate glove size. For example, if you wrap a string around your palm, and that string is 9.5 inches, a size 10 glove should fit well. You should always pair the identical size leather protectors with rubber gloves. Leather protectors are already designed with enough extra sizing to fit over the same size rubber glove. Buying a size up will result in a very loose-fitted leather protector that may easily fall off or slide around.
Electrical Glove Testing
There are two types of testing for electrical gloves; the first, called field testing, should be done before every use to ensure the glove’s integrity. In a field test, first visually inspect the glove for any cuts, holes or discoloration as signs of possible damage. If they pass the visual inspection, it is time to move on to the air test. Using a Salisbury glove inflator, fill the glove up with air and check for any pinholes or cuts where the air is escaping. It is important to feel around and listen carefully for any escaping air, to make sure that the glove’s protective capabilities have not been compromised. If there are no issues, you are good to go. If you find any problems, those gloves cannot be used and must be removed from service.
The second type of glove testing is an ASTM certified lab test. The lab testing starts with a visual test to check for cracks, punctures, pinholes, or other issues. The gloves are then inflated and checked for leaks.
Next, the gloves are filled with water. The gloves are clipped to a machine, and an electrode is placed inside the glove water. The water-filled gloves are partially submerged into a tank filled with water. The water in the tank is energized at high voltages. The exact amount is dependent on the class of gloves being tested. If voltage passes through the glove, the electrode is triggered, and the glove fails the test and will be removed from service.
- Class 00 gloves are proof tested at 2,500V AC and 10,000V DC
- Class 0 gloves are proof tested at 5,000V AC and 20,000V DC
- Class 1 gloves are proof tested at 10,000V AC and 40,000V DC
- Class 2 gloves are proof tested at 20,000V AC and 50,000V DC
- Class 3 gloves are proof tested at 30,000V AC and 60,000V DC
- Class 4 gloves are proof tested at 40,000V AC and 70,000V DC
The safety standards for high voltage gloves require new gloves to be lab tested and put into service within 12 months of the initial test date. Once in use, the rubber voltage rated gloves must be retested every 6 months and, if they pass, the gloves are stamped with the new test date or expiration date and put back into service for another 6 months.
Choosing the correct gloves, regular inspection and proper lab testing are crucial to keeping workers safe from shock on the job site. Simply put – it can save lives, so as the carrying case says:
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR GLOVES.
