Fire Safety Gloves: Types, Materials and When to Replace Them

A firefighter’s hands do most of the work at a fire. They hold the branch, force open a door, lift a casualty and cut through a grille. Yet gloves are often the piece of kit people think about least, and the wrong pair can cost you a burn, a cut or a dropped tool at the worst moment.

This page is for fire brigade staff, industrial fire teams, society fire wardens and anyone who buys gloves for them.

What your hands are up against

At a fire or rescue, hands meet radiant heat, hot metal, broken glass, sharp sheet edges and chemicals. During first aid they also meet blood and other body fluids. Each of these needs a different barrier, and no single glove does every job well.

Different jobs, different gloves

• Structural firefighting gloves are for work inside a burning building. They resist heat and flame and must still let you hold a hose.
• Extrication or rescue gloves are for road accidents and collapses, where the danger is cut metal and glass more than flame.
• EMS or medical gloves are thin disposable gloves for first aid. They keep blood and body fluids off your skin.
• Chemical-resistant gloves are for leaks and spills. Pick them by the chemical, because no one material resists everything.

What gloves are made of

Leather is tough and stands up well to cuts and scraping, which is why most rescue and work gloves use it. Aramid fibres, sold under names such as Kevlar and Nomex, resist heat and are used in the shell and lining of firefighting gloves. Most firefighting gloves combine the two.

Heat protection

Fire gloves slow heat down. They do not stop it. Hold hot metal long enough and the heat will reach your hand. Wet gloves are worse, because the water inside can turn to steam. Read the heat rating on the label before you buy, and choose a pair rated for the work your team actually does.

Grip and dexterity

A glove that is too thick or too big is nearly as bad as no glove. If you cannot grip a hose coupling, turn a valve or hold a casualty’s wrist, you will pull the glove off, and that is when hands get hurt. Try gloves on with the tools your team really uses before you place a bulk order.

Chemicals, blood and body fluids

Firefighting gloves are not chemical gloves or medical gloves. For a chemical leak, use gloves rated for that chemical, as listed in its safety data sheet. For first aid, wear disposable gloves and change them between casualties. Afterwards, peel contaminated gloves off without touching the outside with bare skin, and wash your hands well.

Looking after your gloves

• Check them before and after every use for holes, cracks, stiff or shrunken leather, and burnt or shiny patches.
• Clean them the way the maker says, and dry them away from direct heat.
• Replace gloves that are torn, burnt, badly worn or carrying contamination that will not wash out.
• Keep a spare pair on every vehicle, so nobody works bare-handed because their gloves are wet.

Buying gloves in India

Ask the supplier which standard the gloves are tested to, and check that the marking on the glove matches. The applicable BIS standards, factory rules and your employer’s risk assessment decide what your workplace needs. A cheap pair with no marking is not a saving.

If a hand gets hurt

If heat comes through your glove, pull back at once and tell your officer. Cool the burn under cool, clean running water for 20 minutes. Even 10 minutes helps if that’s all you can manage. No ice, toothpaste, oil or butter. After a needle-stick or a splash of blood, wash the area, report it straight away and get medical advice without delay. Call 108 or 112 for a serious injury.

Tonight, take your gloves out and look at them under a good light. If you can see daylight through a seam, or the leather has gone hard, that pair has done its job. Order a new one.