The Dangers Without The High Voltage Rubber Glove
We all know how dangerous electricity can be and we have seen how electricians wear high voltage rubber gloves when working on overhead cabling. The thing is there is no chance-taking when working with electricity. Disrespecting electricity could result in you getting seriously burned or even losing your life. High voltage rubber gloves are special gloves that are made for this purpose and they are there for a reason and should be worn when working with high voltages.
The high voltage rubber glove is used to protect the electrician from coming into contact with an object or wire that is electrically charged. There are many cases when the electricity is turned off before going to work on a faulty unit. In this case, it is important to make sure that you tag the unit so that other people know that somewhere on the premises the unit is being worked on and should not be switched on. There are also numerous times when an electrician will find him/herself working really close to the electrical system. When you find yourself in this situation, you will be surprised to how electrical gloves will save your life.
Testing is done to all that are manufactured in factories, and the gloves are sometimes made from synthetic rubber or natural rubber. Sometimes both. There are many compounds that are added and it must also be a certain thickness for the different levels of voltages that you could find yourself facing. Natural latex is also used in the manufacturing of electrician gloves. Beware of this, just because the gloves are latex this does not mean that you can wear long latex gloves or even a nitrile glove when working with electricity. These gloves do not have the added compound of the high voltage rubber gloves and they also deprive the thickness needed to protect you.
Gloves that are manufactured are categorized in thicknesses. Each thickness is to be used for certain voltage levels. These classes run from double zero (00) up to 3. 00 is the smallest in the class and this glove is only 0.5mm thick. This is a glove that you should wear when working with 500 Volts. The highest class is the 3 and this glove is 2.9mm thick. You should wear this glove when working with 26.500 Volts of electricity. These gloves are long and when you slip them on they fit over your arms and ensure maximum coverage.
It is important that you maintain these gloves to make sure that they are in perfect condition. If you notice the slightest flaw in these gloves, throw them away and acquire a new pair, because that little flaw could be the cause of your death. Also make sure that the gloves are not stored near moisture and light. Keep them away from pointed and sharp objects. Make sure that you replace your gloves if there are any doubts in your mind. Any electrician should only wear high voltage rubber gloves when the job requires it, otherwise store it in a safe place
