Latex Gloves

Powdered latex gloves use cornstarch to make donning faster, particularly when hands are slightly damp. The powder is a known allergen sensitizer that increases latex allergy risk with repeated exposure over time, and it is banned from many clinical, food service, and pharmaceutical environments because of contamination concerns. Powder-free gloves are the safer choice for most professional environments.

Latex allergy affects roughly three to seven percent of healthcare workers with regular exposure and is a significant occupational health concern in high-exposure environments. Facilities that employ individuals with known latex sensitivities or that serve latex-allergic patients need to provide latex-free alternatives and ensure that latex gloves are not used in areas where cross-contamination with sensitive individuals is possible.

Standard examination gloves have cuffs that end at or slightly above the wrist. Extended cuff gloves provide coverage up to several inches above the wrist, which is important for procedures involving liquid splash risk, forearm immersion, or applications where the sleeve of a uniform or lab coat may not provide adequate coverage at the wrist junction.