Affiliations: Electrical and Utilities Safety Association,
Mississauga, ON, Canada | Kinesiology Department, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON, Canada | Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of
Musculoskeletal Disorders, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Note: [] Corresponding author: Richard Wells, Kinesiology Department,
University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W., Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1,
Canada. Tel.: +1 519 888 4567 ext 33069; E-mail: wells@uwaterloo.ca
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Electrical utility workers wear thick rubber gloves and
often work in the cold. OBJECTIVE: To document the challenge of working in the cold and the
effectiveness of different glove/liner combinations in keeping workers' hands
warm. METHODS: Ten experienced male electrical utility employees worked in
a controlled temperature walk-in chamber at −20°C for 45 minutes for
each of five glove conditions: standard five-finger rubber gloves with cotton
liners and gauntlets, mitten style gloves, a prototype wool liner, and two
heating options; glove or torso. Dependent measures were maximum grip force,
skin temperatures, finger dexterity and sensitivity to touch, ratings of
perceived effort and a rating of thermal sensation. RESULTS: Participants' hand skin temperatures decreased, they
perceived their hands to be much colder, their finger sensitivity decreased and
their ratings of perceived exertion increased, however their performance did
not degrade over the 45 minute trials. The mitten-style gloves showed a smaller
drop in skin temperature for the 3rd and 5th digits (p< 0.05) than the other
glove conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Mitten style gloves kept workers' hands warmer than the
standard five finger glove.
