University of Arizona March 16 th, 2011

Transcription

1 1 University of Arizona March 16 th, 2011

2 Kimberly-Clark Gloves: Factors in Glove Selection Appropriateness of glove material and dimensions. Coverage: Is the glove long enough? Thickness: Which thickness will give protection yet provide dexterity and tactile sensitivity. Grip characteristics. Material resistance. Glove tensile properties Choose gloves with good tensile properties and puncture resistance. These are good indicators of glove durability during use. 2

3 Kimberly-Clark Gloves: Chemical Protection The work activities involved Selection Process Degree of dexterity required. Duration of chemical exposure. Frequency of chemical exposure. Degree of chemical exposure. Existence of work practice controls. AQL level for pinholes The fewer the defects, the better the barrier protection. 3

4 Kimberly-Clark Gloves: Thin Mil Chemical Protection Permeation: Movement of a chemical through a protective clothing material on a molecular level (diffusion through the film). Penetration: Movement of a chemical through a protective layer when the surface has been compromised by a hole. Breakthrough Time: (in minutes or hours) The elapsed time between initial contact on the outside surface of the glove and the time the chemical can be detected on the inside surface of the glove 4

5 Specification Data: AQL for Pinholes What is a pinhole? A small hole anywhere on the glove What is an AQL? AQL is an Accepted Quality Level for Pinholes in a predetermined amount of gloves from a production lot What is the 510K requirement for AQL? Manufacturers must produce to an AQL of 2.5% or less to get 510K approval What level AQL does Kimberly-Clark produce to? Kimberly-Clark manufactures lab gloves to an AQL of 1.5% 5

6 Specification Data: AQL for Pinholes AQL for Pinholes: The industry standard for exam gloves is 2.5. This means that in a lot size of product, less than 2.5% of the gloves will have a defect. There is no industry standard for industrial gloves. Why is this important? Better barrier integrity a pinhole is a defect in the glove. The higher the number of defects, the higher your risk for contamination to your employee and your product. 6

7 KIMBERLY-CLARK GLOVES: Manufacturing Process 7

8 8 KIMBERLY-CLARK GLOVES: Manufacturing Process

9 KIMBERLY-CLARK* Lavender Nitrile Exam Gloves The More Economical Choice of Nitrile Gloves Latex-Free Eliminates exposure of latex sensitive employees to latex Nitrile Material Provides chemical resistance of nitrile Textured Fingertips Easier to handle delicate instruments 2.8 mil Thickness Improves tactile sensitivity 250 Gloves per Box Reduces changing out of empty glove boxes Reduces waste by 55% Exceptional Value vs. Standard Nitrile Size Code 9.5 UOM XS /BX 10BX/CS S /BX 10BX/CS M /BX 10BX/CS L /BX 10BX/CS XL /BX 10BX/CS 9

10 10 Chemical Resistance Chart

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12 Latex Allergy Facts: ~ Up to 15 million Americans have a latex allergy. That means up to 6% of your employees may be allergic to latex. ~ Up to 17% of lab workers are allergic to latex. The more a genetically predisposed person is exposed to latex, the more likely they are to develop the allergy. After repeated exposure over months or years, a threshold is reached and clinical symptoms appear. ~ The occurrence of latex-associated reactions in the general population is 1-6%. ~ The occurrence of peanut allergies in the general population is 1%. That means that latex allergies are our market s peanut allergy. ~ A skin rash is not the only symptom of a latex allergy. There could also be vomiting, diarrhea, anaphylaxis, difficulty breathing, sore joints/muscles, nausea, vertigo/dizziness or sore throat. ~ The majority (about 80%) of latex allergy cases go undiagnosed due to all of these symptoms. ~ The average cost to treat a latex allergy in the US is as high as $218,000 for a single employee. ~ About 70% of reported workers compensation claims resulting from latex allergy sensitivity have resulted in awards to the workers. 12

13 13 Questions?