Workshop safetyWash hands after handling typeVentilate for solvent and powderKeep both hands behind the bladeNo lead dust — never dry-sweep

WORKSHOP & SAFETY

Nitrile Gloves

Disposable gloves for handling type, ink and solvent — the simplest control there is.

3Printing stage Rank 24 of 28

Line drawing

Specification
Material	Nitrile butadiene rubber
Thickness	4–8 mil (0.10–0.20 mm)
Length	240–300 mm
Powder	Powder-free
Chemical resistance	Good for solvents, oils, inks
Grip	Textured fingertips or fully textured
Sizes	S to XXL
Disposal	General waste; never reuse for food

Working parameters
Thickness	4 mil for solvent, 8 mil for type handling
Chemical resistance	Aliphatic solvents, oils, PVA, letterpress ink
Not resistant to	Aromatic solvents, ketones, chlorinated solvents
Suitable stock	Not applicable
Processes	Inking, cleaning, handling lead type, mixing ink
Compatibility	Nitrile degrades with prolonged aromatic solvent contact
Change interval	Every 30–60 minutes with solvent work
Storage	Cool, dark, away from ozone sources

Overview

Gloves are the cheapest and most effective piece of safety equipment in a print shop, and the one most often skipped. There are two distinct reasons to wear them. Nitrile resists solvent and keeps ink off your skin; and gloves stop the transfer of lead dust from your hands to your mouth, which is the actual exposure route for lead type.

Nitrile rather than latex, because latex is a common allergen and is attacked by many solvents. Powder-free, because powder carries contamination. And the right thickness: disposable 4 mil for solvent work, heavier 8 mil for handling type.

3Printing: Ink, packing and impression on the press.

Safety

Before you use itGloves are not a substitute for washing your hands. Take them off, then wash. Lead and ink both transfer from the outside of a glove to whatever you touch next.

Before you use itNitrile does not resist every solvent. Aromatic and chlorinated solvents pass through it. Check the resistance chart for the specific product you are using.

Before you use itNever wear gloves near a rotating press. A glove caught in a nip is far worse than bare skin.

Using it well

Put gloves on before you open the ink tin, not after. Most contamination happens in the first thirty seconds of a job.
Take gloves off by rolling them inside out from the wrist. Turning them inside out traps the contaminated surface.
Keep a box at every station — press, slab and bench. Gloves that are across the room do not get worn.

What it works with

Papers and substrates

Not applicable

Type and fonts

Not applicable

Processes

Inking
Cleaning
Type handling
Ink mixing
Solvent work

Note. Specifications are conventional working ranges for this class of tool, not a measurement of any particular machine. Follow the instructions that came with your own equipment, and treat every figure here as a starting point to check rather than a limit to trust. Nothing on this page is for sale and no manufacturer had any input into it.

SafetyPrint

Ink Solvent

The wash-up liquid for rollers and type — and the main vapour source in the workshop.

Printing stage

SafetyCompose

Lead Type Handling Kit

Tray, tongs, wipes and a wash bottle, for handling lead alloy without taking it home.

Composition stage