Protective gloves for oil rig workers
Alberta’s oil industry, which accounts for 80% of Canada’s oil production and employs over 140,000 people (CAPP, 2023), presents significant workplace hazards. In 2018, over 41% of 1,263 recorded incidents involved hand and finger injuries (IADC, 2019). This project focuses on developing protective gloves for general oil rig workers to address common risks such as cuts and chemical exposure. It reviews hand-related hazards, explores glove standards in North America, and examines suitable materials, structures, and testing methods. Manufacturing processes, supplier references, and limitations in glove design and research scope are also discussed.
Overview of potential risks
1
Mechanical Injuries: 30%
Chemical Injuries: 23%
Caused by :
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inadequate and improper PPE
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inattention or lack of focus
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inappropriate machine operations 2
Overview of
potential mechanical risks
3
Mechanical injuries:
52.39% : fingers and hands
3
Incident Type:
47.42% : Cuts & Impacts
Cut & Impact Resistance
from being cut & crushed by machines and tools
Overview of
potential chemical risks
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Skin irritation
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Skin corrosion
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Dermatitis
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Degreasing
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Chemical burn
4,5,6,7,8,9
​Drilling fluids/mud, crude oil, machining oils, & refined fuels
Highly concentrated sodium hydroxides in drilling fluids/mud
Emulsifiers in drilling fluids/mud & crude oil
Crude oil, drilling fluids/mud
Bromides added to the drilling fluids/mud
All these chemicals can be found easily in the oil rig station.
Chemical Permeation Resistance
from being contaminated by fluid chemicals
Overview of potential risks
while using protective gloves in an oil rig
Injuries caused by loss of grip strength
Decrease hand contraction speed, maximal hand grip strength, and sensitivity of the hand and fingers
Glove’s thickness : losing up to 50% of grip strength
Affect the range of hand and finger motion, tactile sensitivity, and bring ergonomic discomfort
Low temperature: losing up to 9% of grip strength
In Alberta’s winter: cold stress, that loss of fingers and hand feeling and dexterity
Sweat-caused dermatitis
Thermal insulation properties of the thick glove
Skin conditions and sensorial discomfort
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Miliaria, Skin irritation, and itch in atopic dermatitis
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Allergy
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Breeding ground for bacteria and fungus
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Reduce the skin's defensive ability
Breathable with moisture control, thermal insulation, flexibility, and good grip-ability
to avoid discomfort and incidents led by the gloves
Performance specifications and standards of protective gloves for related hazards
In the current protective gloves market:
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Cut resistance: ANSI/ISEA 105 & EN388
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Impact resistance: ANSI/ISEA 138 & EN388
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Chemical permeability: not specified by the existing products ANSI/ISEA 105
​ANSI/ISEA 105-2016
American National Standard For Hand Protection Classification
ANSI/ISEA 138-2019
American National Standard For Performance And Classification For Impact-Resistant Gloves
EN388
European safety standard for protective gloves against mechanical risks