# Gloves in the shop



## Roger Taylor (Feb 17, 2015)

I recently conducted a welder personnel certification test for several welders at a local metal fabrication company.  While supervising the test, there was a big hub-bub next store at the small tooling area.  Here they had a lathe, mill, band saw and several other machine tools with one toolmaker staffing the shop.  Apparently, this fellow was wearing mechanic type gloves and tried to flick a chip off of an end mill on the vertical mill. The result was the loss of the ends of two fingers when the glove material caught and was pulled into the machine tool.  I have seen several of the on-line machine tool you-tubers work on rotating machinery with this type of gloved hand protection and feel that it sends a bad example to neophyte and experienced machinists as well.  I spent 38 years teaching machine shop at the high school level and gloves were out of place when students left the welding or sheet metal area.  Nitrile rubber gloves seem like a good alternative if you don't want to get your hands dirty but anything that can drag you into a rotating machine part should be a no no.

Old retired metal shop teacher


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## Mark_f (Feb 17, 2015)

I agree. I have seen too many fingers turned into hamburger over the years from people wearing gloves.  I don't even like rubber or latex gloves as they dull the sense of feel. Feeling the vibrations in a machine running is important to me as you can tell a lot about what is going on. I often rest one hand somewhere on the machine so I can "feel" changes in it running. I think if you don't want dirty hands, you should not really aspire to be a machinist, but that is my opinion.


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## Billh50 (Feb 18, 2015)

Gloves are a no no anywhere they can be caught in something moving.


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## orjo (Feb 18, 2015)

Here in Belgium we have to wear gloves at our work, even working on machines. I ones had an accident with a drill press. Tried to remove chips with my hand from the workpiece with the drill still running. I was wearing gloves and got caught by the drill, I did not lose any fingers only minor injury. The assurance company first asked if i was wearing gloves if I didn't i would not get payed for the days i was not able to work.
What I learned is the following. Your hands should never be near a piece that is turning. Want to remove chips? take a brush or use a tool to remove the chips.


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## Cactus Farmer (Feb 18, 2015)

A few cuts and oil come wit the job........or be a cook! Not that I don't cook too but not with gloves either.........


mark_f said:


> I agree. I have seen too many fingers turned into hamburger over the years from people wearing gloves.  I don't even like rubber or latex gloves as they dull the sense of feel. Feeling the vibrations in a machine running is important to me as you can tell a lot about what is going on. I often rest one hand somewhere on the machine so I can "feel" changes in it running. I think if you don't want dirty hands, you should not really aspire to be a machinist, but that is my opinion.


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## ogberi (Feb 18, 2015)

gloves are for working with chemicals, not running machines.  The only time I wear gloves working with power tools is with the welder, some grinding operations, and the chainsaw.  Splinter/bug protection.  If I pick up so much as a screwdriver, safety glasses go on.


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## David S (Feb 18, 2015)

I think it is prudent to always brush off chips with a long handle brush and if necessary pull long chips out with smooth handle needle nose.  I do wear disposable nitrile gloves when I am working on brass clock parts and plates.  I hate getting them in for repair seeing previous repairers finger prints etched into the plates.

David


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## NightWing (Feb 18, 2015)

Many shops do not allow watches or rings to be worn.  Long hair and neck chains are also forbidden.


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## hermetic (Feb 18, 2015)

with rotating machinery, rings off, watches off, sleeves rolled to the elbows, no loose clothing or necklaces, long hair tied back (the pic is me in the eighties, I now have dreads down to my Ar*e, which I have in a hairnet/old pair of tights at work.) and definitely NO GLOVES.


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## rwm (Feb 18, 2015)

The worst kind of gloves are the knitted fabric type. I saw a guy last year who got one of these hooked in a bandsaw and cut his hand off. It was reattached but functions poorly. Please be careful out there!
R


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## gi_984 (Dec 31, 2015)

Agreed:  NO GLOVES!  Had to "remind" a student who transferred into the machine tool program from the automative side.  He kept on wanting to wear the mechanix brand gloves in the shop.  Stop the machine and use a chip rake or similar to remove swarf.


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## gi_984 (Dec 31, 2015)

I do use nitrile gloves to keep my hands relatively clean when degreasing or oily messy cleaning jobs.  But that is only for non-machining type situations.


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## T Bredehoft (Dec 31, 2015)

Having seen a farm hand jump from a stake bed truck and leave his wedding ring behind, (including finger) I stopped wearing mine.  Don't know where it is now. Still have the wife, though. And all 10 fingers. Two got broken when a 165# part fell from a faceplate on a lathe and a thumb got a screw driver slot in the end from a band saw, but that's all after 55 years of active work.


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## BGHansen (Dec 31, 2015)

I work at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Lansing, MI.  Our leadership required team members on the floor to wear gloves when working on the car to prevent mutilations from rings, etc. on the painted car.  Then we had a team member use a gloved hand to hold a socket/bolt on center when driving the bolt.  A gloved finger got snagged in the Atlas-Copco motor and he lost his finger.  One the plus side, plant leadership changed the gloved team member rule figuring it's easier to fix a scratch on a car than it is to replace a missing finger.


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## great white (Dec 31, 2015)

Hands, finger and loose clothing don't belong anywhere near rotating bits or anything that cuts while its in motion. Gloves or no gloves.

I also make sure I am not in line or in front of the cutting surface.

These two simple rules have gotten me through my 50 years of life with all my digits and no injuries to speak of over a career of working on, around and in machinery.

And yup, I wear gloves pretty much everywhere. Mechanix gloves all around the shop and a rubber/latex coated fabric glove (pretty much like a layer of skin) around the lathe.

It's not about the gloves, its about keeping your mind on the task at hand. Reaching in to a work area with your hand to grab a chip or curl is bad practice no matter how you slice it. Slice it is the key word here.

I'm almost always wearing ear defenders around anything that makes more than conversation type noise (a lifetime around jet engines and bad tinitus as a result will do that to you) and eye glasses go on (and come off) at the shop door. Rings, watches, etc are things I don't wear, just something I picked up when I started in aerospace soo long ago. Not even my wedding band.

Lots will disagree wih the way i look at it. So be it.

SA is king as far as I'm concerned. If you stay aware, you stay alive. That's the way it is at my work and my shop at least.


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## silence dogood (Dec 31, 2015)

I worked with machinery and electronics(much if it was hi-voltage tube) so I don't wear any jewelry of any kind.  One time a woman at a restaurant noticed that I did not wear a wedding ring.  I explained to her that my wife knows that I love her so that was not an issue.  Also she loves me enough that she does not want me to lose any body parts or worse.


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## timvercoe (Jan 1, 2016)

I have used some gloves occasionally.  What I found is that it gives me a false sense of security and I become reckless then do stupid things.  So far no finger loss, "knock on wood."  I remember hearing or reading "no gloves in the metal machine shop" because of safety and  because you loose that tactile sense of cleanliness, when mounting tooling and work on the machine. I.E. are there any chips/swarf that are going to foul my set up?
Tim


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## stupoty (Jan 1, 2016)

NightWing said:


> Many shops do not allow watches or rings to be worn.  Long hair and neck chains are also forbidden.



Did I ever mention the time I got my long hair caught in the lead screw , errrrrr

Stuart


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## great white (Jan 1, 2016)

stupoty said:


> Did I ever mention the time I got my long hair caught in the lead screw , errrrrr
> 
> Stuart


Head, chest, back or somewhere else more embarrassing?


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## atunguyd (Jan 1, 2016)

It's not just the metal work shop...  We had a lawyer who got his tie caught in the office paper shredder. It pulled his head almost to the machine before someone managed to help him. 

I guess some people are just accident prone. 

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


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## juiceclone (Jan 1, 2016)

atunguyd said:


> It's not just the metal work shop...  We had a lawyer who got his tie caught in the office paper shredder. It pulled his head almost to the machine before someone managed to help him.
> 
> I guess some people are just accident prone.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk



         OK but who put his tie in there.


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## kvt (Jan 1, 2016)

I normally wear the nitrile gloves,   when working on things, and any where oil, alcohol, acetone or anything else that is going to be used,   Have very bad skin condition,  where my fingers split open, and I have to do something if I want to play around with things.   One of my doctors thinks it form spending to much time with my hands in contact with chemicals etc.   So now I do wear gloves all the time.  
I do not wear any rings, watches, etc and always have on the glasses.   my wife only lets me wear the rings etc when we go out, as about 30 years ago, I was working on a car, and somehow my wedding ring wound up welded to the metal on the car, and I had one nasty burn on my finger,   After that it was like she would rather me have all my fingers than wear a ring when we both know we love each other.    Watch had a big blob of weld get in the glove and behind the watch band one time,   Left a nice scar and now I rarely were a watch, and never when working on things.   Lost my class ring in the fender of a kids car working on it when I was in School.  I guess you might say I'm one of those accident prone people,  but have all my fingers and toes just a few scars on them.


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## juiceclone (Jan 1, 2016)

Shop I worked at once had (fake) leather gloves with the fingers removed we were supposed to wear.   Theory being you're less likely to get caught up in a moving mill or part that way.  It was voluntary, and I don't remember anyone in my department wearing them.


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## planeflyer21 (Jan 2, 2016)

My buddy said in another shop once, a guy was running the bandsaw with latex gloves on and got a snag on the running blade.  Requested my friend's help at the first aid station.

One tiny hole in the glove, yet when they removed the glove the guy's finger was only hanging on by a couple of millimeters of skin.


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## yendor (Jan 3, 2016)

I was taught by a master mechanic back when I was working my way thru college that the reason the top center drawer on the tool box had a lock was to put all your stuff in it when you came to work.
And to keep a scrub brush in the bottom for clean up when your done.

Still do - still have all 10 fingers & toes


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## Ulma Doctor (Jan 4, 2016)

i almost never wear gloves in the shop unless it's for welding. i'm a feel type worker.
when i use latex or nitrile,
it's only when the job is exceedingly messy- but never while operating machinery with rotating blades or chucks


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jan 5, 2016)

It was 18F in the garage the other night - if I didn't wear gloves (with the tips cut off) I wouldn't last long before I lost feeling in my hands. That would be way more dangerous in handling tools than wearing gloves. Now my feet, they can go completely numb as long as I don't fall over


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## Ulma Doctor (Jan 5, 2016)

@ 18*F ????
What Dedication!


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jan 5, 2016)

necessity is the mother of invention  I keep a hair dryer handy for when I need to warm up my dial indicator and a heat gun/ blow torch for when I need to get things unscrewed - like that chuck back plate I made!


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## Ulma Doctor (Jan 5, 2016)

call me a sissy, 
but if it gets below 45* in the shop, i'm grabbing the propane heater


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jan 5, 2016)

I'd love it to be 45 in the shop, I'd be out there in shorts and T-shirt, basking in the warmth  I've been down to 10F in the garage before, but then it starts to get painful as anything metal you pick up hurts. There's no point heating it either - big open space with no insulation. On the flipside, in summer it gets up to 110F in there, so I end up getting hot chips hitting my chest and stuck between my toes. When I get my own place, an insulated and heated workshop/ garage will be near the top of the list!


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## Jmkimsey88 (Jan 13, 2016)

Gloves are not the problem, it's whomever is using them incorrectly that creates any physical dilemma.  If  a machine is cutting or turning, your hands
shouldn't be directly in the tool cutting path to begin with.


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## Keith Foor (Jan 16, 2016)

I am sorry but the idea of not wearing gloves that will protect your hands so that you can do stupid things like put your hands near moving or rotating tooling is sort of counter productive.  It's akin to the argument I have heard where someone refuses to wear a seat belt because someone that slammed into a wall at 70 MPH had a seat belt cut into them and kill them.  Never mind hitting the windshield or steering column would have made them just as dead.  I have worked wood, metal, plastics, wrenched on cars and many other hands on things.  I wear gloves.  I also don't put my hands in places that they can get caught. If it's moving, it gets a wide berth of at least 6 inches.  No matter if it's a piece of work in a lathe, a cutter in a mill or a saw blade on a table saw.  I even go as far as setting circular and table saw blades to only cut 1/8 inch over the thickness of the material being cut.  It is too easy to take the time to work safely and not expose myself to dangerous situations that can be avoided by taking a minute or two of additional time to setup a saw or clamp something or shut off a piece of equipment to clean swarf or sawdust or whatever.


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## core-oil (Jan 16, 2016)

Some months back I attended a lecture in which the speaker stated that  "In the Glasgow area all the turners on big machines wore ties"-- Really? I have been around that area for most of my past working life, (Before the present crazy economics shut 90% of them down, from the 1980/s on wards) And cannot remember these guys having ties on when operating machine tools, The only exceptions I do recall were some of the old toolmakers who looked a million dollars , wore a nice blue shirt , white collar & tie and frequently a smart grey warehouse coat which kept them safe by keeping their tie prisoner.
Some years back (about 20 years ago) an unfortunate turner was killed in Scotland by a rag on his overall sleeve which became entangled with a large steel cutting dragging him into the machine.

Guys have fun, enjoy your machine tools, Without mine, I would be lost, But keep alert to the split second accident which can occur, "Care and Caution + Common Sense", 
and life should be a beach.


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## BludNSweat (Mar 7, 2016)

One of the first things I was taught was no gloves, no jewelry or watches, keep your shirt tucked in and roll up your sleeves and check yourself to make sure there is nothing on your body that could get pulled into a machine including hair.


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## T Bredehoft (Mar 7, 2016)

BludNSweat said:


> , keep your shirt tucked in and roll up your sleeves



I'm glad to hear that, our old friend Arthritis has made it so I can no longer _easily_ button cuff buttons.  I roll my sleeves up when I put on a shirt and live that way. I do, occasionally, realize they need re-rolling and do so, but still am a bit concerned. I am aware when working on the lathe that I need to have care, so I guess I do.


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## TommyD (Mar 7, 2016)

The ONLY time I wear gloves is using air tools, grinders, cut off and the like, I like the plain white leather ones best. Those air tools get AWFULLY cold fast in the winter.


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## TommyD (Mar 7, 2016)

I was a Manufacturing Engineer in a few places and NEVER wore a tie and no boss ever said anything about it. I was out in all sorts of machinery, up close and personal like, and I wasn't gonna let a rag around my neck get me hurt. I used to shake my heads at those that wore ties.....then again, they didn't spend much time on the floor.


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## TOOLMASTER (Mar 7, 2016)

skin will grow back. your gloves won't. be kind to gloves.


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## rwm (Mar 7, 2016)

Keith Foor said:


> I am sorry but the idea of not wearing gloves that will protect your hands so that you can do stupid things like put your hands near moving or rotating tooling is sort of counter productive.  It's akin to the argument I have heard where someone refuses to wear a seat belt because someone that slammed into a wall at 70 MPH had a seat belt cut into them and kill them.  Never mind hitting the windshield or steering column would have made them just as dead.  I have worked wood, metal, plastics, wrenched on cars and many other hands on things.  I wear gloves.  I also don't put my hands in places that they can get caught. If it's moving, it gets a wide berth of at least 6 inches.  No matter if it's a piece of work in a lathe, a cutter in a mill or a saw blade on a table saw.  I even go as far as setting circular and table saw blades to only cut 1/8 inch over the thickness of the material being cut.  It is too easy to take the time to work safely and not expose myself to dangerous situations that can be avoided by taking a minute or two of additional time to setup a saw or clamp something or shut off a piece of equipment to clean swarf or sawdust or whatever.



I get what you are saying, but the concept of no gloves is pretty well established. No matter how careful you are there will come an opportunity for your gloved hand to get caught by a machine tool an pull you in. That is different that a seat belt which is shown to statistically  reduce injury. Earlier in the thread I commented on a guy who got cut by an industrial bandsaw. He was wearing gloves. He got pulled into the blade and cut his hand off. I have been cut by my bandsaw (just two fingers.) Thank God I was not wearing gloves. 
Having said that, I think gloves are essential for some tools. Angle grinders and torches come to mind.  The bottom line is I think you need to be aware of the risks and evaluate each unique situation rather than always wear gloves.
I hope I am not being too argumentative.
R


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## savarin (Mar 7, 2016)

I would like to be able to wear nitrile gloves just to keep my hands clean but after approx 10 seconds they start filling up with sweat so I dont.
The slippery feel of sweaty fingers in a glove feels appalling.


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## Keith Foor (Mar 8, 2016)

rwm said:


> I get what you are saying, but the concept of no gloves is pretty well established. No matter how careful you are there will come an opportunity for your gloved hand to get caught by a machine tool an pull you in. That is different that a seat belt which is shown to statistically  reduce injury. Earlier in the thread I commented on a guy who got cut by an industrial bandsaw. He was wearing gloves. He got pulled into the blade and cut his hand off. I have been cut by my bandsaw (just two fingers.) Thank God I was not wearing gloves.
> Having said that, I think gloves are essential for some tools. Angle grinders and torches come to mind.  The bottom line is I think you need to be aware of the risks and evaluate each unique situation rather than always wear gloves.
> I hope I am not being too argumentative.
> R



Don't see it as argumentative at all.  I wear Mechanix Wear gloves when working with most things.  When the screws get below number 10 size its a bit difficult and they come off.


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## intjonmiller (Mar 29, 2016)

I did sheet metal work for a while, as well as other construction. It is hard to break that habit of wearing gloves. I learned from a minor woodworking accident, where my fingers were no closer than 3-4" from the table saw blade, but got pulled in when the long piece I was retrieving suddenly shifted (and Archimedes won that round), that you don't put anything anywhere near the tool that you don't want to lose. Sacrificial tools only. Fortunately I escaped with just a couple stitches as I only caught the side of the teeth with the tip of one finger. I've always been "Mr Safety", but that one took me by surprise. And I was working later than I should have. I now have a 9 PM power tool curfew for that reason. I can only operate the broom after that. 

Quite recently a woman was killed at a local grocery store when she got pulled into the commercial mixer in the bakery. I never heard exactly how it happened, but I'm confident that at some point someone made some poor safety choices, either in policies or in whether or not to follow policies.


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## Ulma Doctor (Mar 29, 2016)

intjonmiller said:


> Quite recently a woman was killed at a local grocery store when she got pulled into the commercial mixer in the bakery. I never heard exactly how it happened, but I'm confident that at some point someone made some poor safety choices, either in policies or in whether or not to follow policies.



i know of a more than a few instances that had sadly similar results in the processing houses as well as grocery stores.
i seen some stuff over the years- i wish i didn't.
here's a sanitized version of one incident.
i was called off hours by a fire department asking me how to reverse the motor's direction for a small meat grinder.
a young worker's hand was stuck in it.  
i was the closest guy...
fortunately the doctors saved the hand, but not all the digits made it.


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## intjonmiller (Mar 29, 2016)

Reading the story just broke my heart. Just imagining her surprise and painful death, the shock her coworkers and employers and especially family must have felt learning that she died working at the grocery store. The torque on those machines is nothing to mess around with, but most people have no idea how scary it can be. 

Here's one report about it: https://www.ksl.com/?sid=38382910&nid=148


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## chips&more (Mar 29, 2016)

We have a love for our toys in the shop. BUT, there must be an understanding, that this love can hurt you! Please please be careful.


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## ericc (Mar 30, 2016)

I think it all depends on the situation.  Our safety guy said although gloves were customary on the oil rigs, never wear gloves when logging on a rig in Siberia.  The cables are always frayed, and they are unguarded, and a gloved hand will be caught and end up dragging the wearer into the wheel.  I look around rigs in the US, and everybody is wearing gloves.  The safety guy said you will get your hands cut up real bad in Siberia, but don't wear the gloves.


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## Fabrickator (Mar 30, 2016)

No gloves are ever used in my shop, except for occasionally hauling wood to or from the truck.  If you don't want to get dirty, find another creative, satisfying hobby like quilting...


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## rwm (Mar 30, 2016)

I have used gloves for quilting. Then one day I found myself sewed to a quilt. It's all dangerous.
R


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## intjonmiller (Mar 30, 2016)

Fabrickator said:


> No gloves are ever used in my shop, except for occasionally hauling wood to or from the truck.  If you don't want to get dirty, find another creative, satisfying hobby like quilting...


I find it remarkable how many people make the assumption that gloves are only for keeping your hands clean. First of all, that's only true if you are very careful to actually keep your hands clean, and never put the gloves on when your hands are dirty or you will get dirty every time you put them on. But more importantly they are usually for safety, not cleanliness. (Even in medical use they are for health and safety, keeping everything else clean more than about keeping hands clean, though obviously that is also a benefit.) Just because they are not advisable around machinery with exposed moving parts doesn't mean they don't have substantial use as PPE. 

I just don't understand mocking someone for wearing gloves.


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## JimDawson (Mar 30, 2016)

The only time I wear gloves in my shop is handling large or hot chunks of iron, or welding.  Absolutely no gloves around machine tools.


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## rwm (Dec 2, 2016)

Interestingly, I was at a holiday party last night and ran into a hand surgeon. Since he was drinking, I took the opportunity to ask him about hand injuries, specifically what do I do if I lose a finger in the shop. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on that but I think we all realize it is a distinct possibility. He told me that if it was just one finger it was probably not worth reattaching because it was unlikely that it would ever function well and I would ask for it to be removed later. NOT what I wanted to hear. If it was multiple fingers that would result in significant disability anyway so they might reattach one or more. He said to put them in a clean bag and put that on ice. Get to a University Hospital or Level One trauma center. They are good for about 24 hours so traveling is not out of the question. Sorry if this sounds too morbid but it is not the kind of advice you have access to everyday. 
He was also very interested in the metal work and what kind of things we make! Be safe.
Robert


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## 4GSR (Dec 2, 2016)

Yeah, in my neck of the woods, a level one trauma center is 2 hours away!  The local hospital would probably sew up the open hole and call it good and send me home.  

Be safe out there in your shop!  I try to.  It's hard to sometimes.  Try to think a step ahead of yourself when making moves.  That last step could cost you a limb or two! Or death!


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## intjonmiller (Dec 2, 2016)

rwm said:


> Interestingly, I was at a holiday party last night and ran into a hand surgeon. ... He said to put them in a clean bag and put that on ice.


Don't overlook that important detail! Directly on the ice is bad. A severed body part needs to be kept cool, but should not be frozen, even just in points of contact with the ice. The insulation of a bag, or better double-bagged, protects it from cellular damage. 

My brother had his hand pulled into a snowblower about a decade ago. The theory is that there must have been loose threads or something on his gloves and those got caught and pulled him in. When I got the call to go clean up the mess he left in front of his neighbor's house while my mom went to pick him up and take him to the ER, I couldn't believe it had happened, because he has always been Mr. Safety. He grew up helping our great-grandfather with his snowblower, and had adopted the same practice of hanging a stick, like a short length of an old broomstick, from a strap on the handle of the snowblower so you won't ever be tempted to try to clear a mess manually. He says he was sure he was far enough away that he was in no danger, and then suddenly his hand was in there. Accidents like that can happen to anyone, and knowing how to handle it is important. 

Also the surgeon wasn't kidding. My brother needed half a day of surgery with a couple of surgeons (they described the x-ray of his hand as "cornflakes" rather than bones), and he had to re-learn how to type (was a developer, now an IT director), and he can now predict the weather through the pain he experiences as the barometric pressure changes. They can sew it all up again, but you'll never be the same.


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## FOMOGO (Dec 2, 2016)

Recall hearing from a relative once about her brother losing a digit while woodworking. His mother stuck the finger in half a watermelon that was on the kitchen table before taking him to the hospital. They said that was a good move. Pretty sure that was prior to the plastic bag era. Remember when your lunch was always wrapped in wax-paper, and you had to use a church key to open your beverage of choice? You tell kids that today and they look at you like your from another planet. That may be true, I keep waiting for the mother ship to come and take me home.  Mike


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## Silverbullet (Dec 2, 2016)

Every time I see a YouTube video with un safe practice I leave them a nice please don't wear loose long sleeves or no eye protection. Just a week ago I saw a man on video get sucked into a running lathe. He didn't look to hurt but he died later that night. It's always better to be dirty or have splinters then to be dead. That machine don't care if you live or die . It's a hard video to watch he leans into the machine his shirt gets caught and he's twisted up n the lathe. Should never had happened. SAFTEY is everyone's responsibility. If you see it tell them if they don't listen tell someone higher up. Un called for in our osha safe times. I'm not sure if the accident was in the USA but still it shouldn't have happened.


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## intjonmiller (Dec 2, 2016)

What's amazing is how people can react so negatively when you try to share safety concerns like that.


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## GLCarlson (Dec 3, 2016)

intjonmiller said:


> What's amazing is how people can react so negatively when you try to share safety concerns like that.


And then you ban them from the shop. Instantly. Forever. Because they have just announced that the rules don't apply to them.  Machines are like laws of nature: the penalty for ignoring the rules is death or worse, there's no appeal,  you don't get a do-over, and the penalty is imposed instantly without pity.

I admit I'll usually try, once, to make the rules clear; especially today, few have real experience with hard lessons. But- one try only. Argue, ignore, disregard...gone.


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## Steven Storey (Dec 4, 2016)

mark_f said:


> Feeling the vibrations in a machine running is important to me as you can tell a lot about what is going on. I often rest one hand somewhere on the machine so I can "feel" changes in it running. I think if you don't want dirty hands, you should not really aspire to be a machinist, but that is my opinion.



I'm the same, wouldn't dream of wearing any gloves, one or both hands on the machine at any time.


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## SapperDave (Dec 6, 2016)

Completely agree, only gloves I wear are anti vibration ones when using construction tools, everything comes off my hands and arms in the workshop. I get a bit irritated when other people refuse.


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## dulltool17 (Jan 1, 2017)

The only gloves I EVER wear when using my machines are nitrile rubber, and even then only for truly rough work, when my hands will only be on controls.  If doing any close work, like polishing a barrel, I have one hand on the EMO button, and the other is bare.


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## Ebel440 (Jan 31, 2017)

I wear nitrile gloves everyday working with mills etc. I started wearing them because the coolant caused contact dermatitis. And my hands were a mess with open sores until I stopped getting coolant on them. I try to use thinner gloves that will hopefully tear away before pulling me in. The best idea is to never get where your hand could be pulled in anyway.


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## dulltool17 (Feb 1, 2017)

Ebel440 said:


> I wear nitrile gloves everyday working with mills etc. I started wearing them because the coolant caused contact dermatitis. And my hands were a mess with open sores until I stopped getting coolant on them. I try to use thinner gloves that will hopefully tear away before pulling me in. The best idea is to never get where your hand could be pulled in anyway.




Agreed.  Probably the best reason yet.  There are such things as "barrier creams" available that coat your skin to act as a "glove"
I used them at one point, with some success.


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## kvt (Feb 1, 2017)

I to have dermatitis and use the nitrile gloves all the time,   I had thought of the barrier creams but they rub off on stuff, and also do not work to good on open spots which I often get.   Unless you have a type that will work better.   The other thing that the nitrile does is helps keep any solvents away from the skin.


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## tq60 (Feb 1, 2017)

There is a 200 count box of extra large nitrile gloves currently on amazon for maybe 9 bucks or so.

Easy to get on sue to size and they are a bit thinner than some others so they are less likely to pull you in.

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## bfd (Feb 1, 2017)

where Iworked gloves were required anytime you were performing any work. even rotating equipment work I tried to argue with the bosses but no help. finally I just told them write me up my fingers are more important than your rules. bill


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## bfd (Feb 1, 2017)

still have all 10 bill


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## Ebel440 (Feb 2, 2017)

I tried the barrier cream too but it didnt work to well.


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## Hukshawn (Feb 4, 2017)

The barrier creams were mainly designed for the food industries for direct contact with food. A barrier for germs and bacteria. Not so much for industrial use as a cream has limited protection for solvents, oils, abrasives, or just handling hard/sharp objects.


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## Mach89 (Feb 5, 2017)

At a plant I worked at 16 years ago, there was a woman running a lathe making small motor shalves. The lathe had a spring loaded tailstock so her and the rest of those doing that job would finish a part, and just release the tailstock and drop the part in hand, then set the next one in and let the tailstock spring back in place. All this while the spindle was running. She was wearing white cotton gloves I believe. Anyway, the glove got caught and she ended up 3 fingers shy of ten. I'm pretty sure they were able to sew them back on. This story is what always runs through my head any time I see or hear of someone wearing gloves running machines. Gloves while handling material or loading a machine is fine while all moving parts (spindle especially) are at rest. But the gloves need to come off before starting motion.

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## Highsider (Feb 7, 2017)

atunguyd said:


> It's not just the metal work shop...  We had a lawyer who got his tie caught in the office paper shredder. It pulled his head almost to the machine before someone managed to help him.
> 
> I guess some people are just accident prone.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


There should be a lawyer joke in there somewhere.


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