Ergonomic Criteria and Usability Testing of Cut-Resistant Protective Gloves: An Experimental Study
Keywords:
Hand dexterity; , Protective clothing;, Anti-cut gloves;, Usability testing; , ErgonomicsAbstract
Background: Despite the fact that hand and arm injuries can be prevented with protective gloves, their use can lead to a reduction in hand dexterity and muscle strength. The present study was conducted to investigate ergonomic criteria and usability of four types of cut-resistant protective gloves (CRPGs) with the aim of identifying an optimal glove choice. Methods: In this experimental study, 22 male participants were tested in five conditions: barehanded, wearing nitrile-coated gloves, gel-coated gloves, material-coated gloves, and foam nitrile-coated gloves. Dexterity tests were done using the Bennett and O'Connor tests, grip and pinch force was measured using a dynamometer, and range of motion was measured using a goniometer. The usability of gloves was evaluated using the system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire, and localized discomfort in various hand areas was assessed using the local perceived discomfort (LPD) questionnaire. Results: All studied CRPGs significantly reduced finger dexterity scores (p value < 0.001). However, the impact of different gloves on hand dexterity was varied. Wearing all four gloves resulted in decreased grip force, but statistically significant differences in grip force were observed only between the barehanded condition and Glove B (p value = 0.004). Additionally, wearing all four gloves led to increased pinch force, but this increase was statistically significant only between the barehanded condition and Glove D (p value = 0.005). Finally, there was a significant statistical difference among the different gloves in terms of usability (p value = 0.001) and LPD (p value = 0.001). Conclusions: It appears that CRPGs can have a significant impact on hand skills. Glove D with foam nitrile coating demonstrated the best finger dexterity compared to other studied gloves
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