Showing 0 products
Frequently Asked Questions
Do leather protectors provide electrical protection?
None whatever - the rubber glove provides all of it.
Leather is not an insulating material and is not tested as one.
The protector's entire job is to keep the rubber glove intact.
Insulating rubber is chosen for dielectric properties rather than toughness.
It cuts, punctures and abrades very easily.
Wearing protectors is what allows the rubber glove to survive normal work.
Are protectors interchangeable between gloves?
No - they are sized to fit over a specific insulating glove size, and the length relationship is specified.
Standards state how far the insulating glove must extend beyond the protector's cuff.
Leather closer to the fingertips than permitted reduces the effective insulating length.
Too large a protector bunches and reduces dexterity further.
The pair should be treated as a matched set rather than as two items.
Manufacturers state which protector suits which glove size and class.
What is checked on a protector before use?
Cuts, embedded metal fragments, hardened areas and worn patches.
Embedded fragments are the specific hazard, because a metal sliver can puncture the rubber glove beneath.
Hardened or stiff leather no longer conforms and can chafe the rubber.
Worn patches mean the protection has already been consumed.
Inspection takes seconds and is done alongside the insulating glove check.
A damaged protector is replaced rather than used for one more job.
Can they be used as ordinary work gloves?
They should not be - a protector used for general handling picks up contamination and damage.
That damage is then carried into the electrical task.
Embedded fragments from general work are exactly what punctures the rubber glove.
The pair should be kept and stored together as a set.
Using separate general-purpose gloves for other work is inexpensive.
Treating the protector as part of the electrical equipment rather than as a glove prevents it.
How often do they need replacing?
More often than the insulating gloves, because they take all the abuse.
That is the intended behaviour rather than a shortcoming.
Replacing a worn protector promptly is far cheaper than replacing a damaged rubber glove and its testing.
Stocking protectors alongside insulating gloves keeps the pair serviceable.
A worn protector left in service transfers damage to the glove it should be protecting.
Replacement is a maintenance decision rather than a budget one.