MJSA has a quiz on shop safety:
I’m not sure why the jotform in the link, unless that is what hosts the quiz. If the link doesn’t work for you, you can get to the quiz via MJSA.org / Publications / MJSA Journal / How Safe Is Your Shop / Take the Quiz… Some of the choice Ds are…creative?
My question is about #19:
- Why is glove selection important when handling chemicals?
A: Some gloves dissolve when exposed to certain chemicals
B: Gloves can make you work slower
C: Gloves keep the chemical containers free from dirty fingerprints
D: Wearing gloves makes chemicals lose interest and leave you alone
Spoiler alert, the answer is A, but they did not elaborate. Does anyone know what chemicals do not play well with nitrile, latex, and I suppose rubber? I have only nitrile gloves, and in all honesty use them rarely, so this is more out of curiosity than need (or intention). I could probably have added a sillier E: No need, my hands heal really fast. Dumb, but true.
Nitrile should be fine for most of the work you might do as a jeweler. But there are certain solvents that will dissolve or go through different gloves. Always good practice to check if you’re using something new. The Internet is full of charts like this that will help guide you:
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Thank you for that great chart Daniel. The 2 things that stood out to me for nitrile gloves were methyl alcohol (don’t use) and acetone, which I do. One or more on that list might be what is used in some ‘denatured’ alcohol mixes which I do use, so I’ll have to read the can’s ingredients.
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Yes, beware of methanol. It is absorbed through the skin and commonly used in denatured alcohol. It has a long target organ list and you really want to stay away from it. I started using drinkable alcohol (everclear or vodka) in my flux to stay away from methanol. You should always find the SDS and read it for any chemicals that you use. I’m a chemist by day and a bit of safety freak.
Bernie
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