Laboratory Gloves

Working with heat, fire, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous substances can be quite dangerous. Such scientific work often requires the use of several articles of protective clothing to prevent injuries, burns, or the inhalation of toxins. Such gear includes face masks, aprons, lab coats, and gloves.

Laboratory gloves are among the most commonly used items of protective clothing for people in a variety of industries who work with hazardous materials. After all, the hands are often the part of the body that come in closest contact with the hazards of laboratory work or any kind of scientific research that involves dangerous materials. Today, most laboratory gloves are made of heat-resistant cottons, neoprene, latex, polyethylene, or other durable materials. However, for several decades, laboratory gloves contained asbestos.

How ironic that the very article of clothing that was meant to product the laboratory worker was actually causing harm! Asbestos-containing laboratory gloves, when old or damaged, were likely to emit dangerous fibers, which could be inhaled by the person wearing the gloves or those working around him/her. Add to that the fact that individuals are always subconsciously putting their hands near their noses and mouths, and it’s easy to understand how readily scientists and others could inhale asbestos fibers from their laboratory gloves.

Even scientists, doctors, and others who made regular use of laboratory gloves, regardless of their profession or education, were often unaware of the dangers of asbestos, so they didn’t hesitate to wear these and other asbestos-containing pieces of protective clothing. Their lack of knowledge about asbestos hazards left them open to developing fatal asbestos-related illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen.

Though evidence shows that there were plenty of individuals who knew about the hazards of asbestos, most of those people – often asbestos product manufacturers – did not share their knowledge with those who encountered the toxic mineral on a daily basis. Today, as much as 50 years later, those who wore asbestos laboratory gloves and other asbestos clothing items are suffering from the aforementioned diseases. Some have already been victims of a painful death caused by asbestos exposure.

If you used asbestos gloves on the job and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you’ll want to be well-versed as to your legal rights. An experienced asbestos attorney can help you determine whether you or your family are eligible for monetary compensation for your injuries. For more details, take a moment to order our free mesothelioma information packet.

Last modified: December 09 2009.