Work Gloves

Work gloves are personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the hands from the everyday hazards of working life such as cuts, abrasion, impact, chemicals, heat, cold, and general handling risks. The level of protection depends on the glove material, construction, and certified performance ratings.

Providing and wearing suitable safety gloves is typically part of workplace safety requirements across most industrial and construction settings, and the right pair of working gloves makes the difference between a job done safely and an avoidable hand injury. The range covers everything from light protective gloves for general handling through to industrial gloves, heavy-duty gloves, and construction work gloves built for site duty, as well as specialist electrical safety gloves rated for live electrical work.

Why Use Work Gloves?

Work gloves earn their place across virtually every working environment, doing more than simply covering the hands. They protect against the hazards present, improve how the worker handles tools and materials, and keep people on the job for longer.

• Hand Protection: Protective gloves reduce exposure to the common hazards of handling work, including cuts from sharp edges, abrasion against rough surfaces, splinters, dirt, light chemicals, and heat or cold transfer, with the level of protection determined by the glove specification and material.
• Better Grip and Control: Many working gloves improve handling of tools, parts, and materials, particularly in oily, dusty, or wet environments where bare skin would slip. Coated palms transform a slick surface into one that can be gripped confidently under load.
• Comfort and Productivity: A well-fitted pair of work gloves reduces hand fatigue across a working day, lets the wearer hold and operate tools for longer, and keeps the worker focused on the task rather than on hand discomfort.
• PPE Compliance: In industrial and construction environments, industrial gloves are typically part of the required PPE set alongside eye, face, and foot protection, and supplying the right glove is part of meeting that obligation.

What Work Gloves Do I Need?

The right glove depends on the hazard you are protecting against and the work being done. Run through the criteria below to narrow your selection.

• Match the Glove to the Hazard: Identify the primary risk (e.g. cut, chemical, thermal, impact, electrical), and select gloves tested to relevant standards (e.g. EN 388 for mechanical risks, EN 407 for heat, EN 374 for chemicals).
• Construction and Site Work: For construction work and general site duty, choose heavy-duty gloves built for the punishment of timber, masonry, tools and rough material handling, with reinforced palms and abrasion-resistant backs.
• Industrial Handling: Where the work involves repeated handling, oils, machine parts, or extended duty cycles, specify industrial gloves with grip coatings and durable construction suited to the conditions.
• Electrical Tasks: For live electrical work, use only electrical safety gloves rated to the voltage of the task and tested to the relevant standard, following site procedures, inspection requirements, and any rubber-insulating-glove regulations that apply. Never substitute a general-purpose glove for properly rated electrical PPE.
• Fit and Dexterity: Gloves should fit snugly without restricting movement. Fine assembly tasks call for more dexterity in a thinner, more flexible glove, while heavy handling tolerates a bulkier glove for more protection.
• Environment: Account for whether the work is wet, oily, hot, cold, dusty, or chemical-exposed and specify a glove material and coating engineered for those conditions.

Types of Work Gloves

Work gloves are stocked across a spread of categories, each engineered for a specific hazard profile. The variants below cover the main types in the range.

• General Handling Gloves: Lightweight protective gloves for routine warehouse, packing, maintenance, and assembly work, balancing comfort, dexterity, and basic protection across long working shifts.
• Cut-Resistant Gloves: Engineered for work around blades, sheet metal, glass, and other sharp materials, often using HPPE or aramid fibers. Many products are tested to EN 388 to indicate resistance to cut, abrasion, tear, puncture, and impact hazards.
• Impact-Resistant Gloves: Built with TPR (thermoplastic rubber) reinforcement across the knuckles and back of the hand to absorb impact forces in mechanical, construction, and oil-and-gas environments where pinch and strike risks are present.
• Chemical-Resistant Gloves: Used when handling oils, solvents, cleaning agents, and chemicals, with the glove material (nitrile, neoprene, PVC, butyl, or similar) selected to match the specific chemicals being handled. Always cross-check the glove against the chemical compatibility chart before use.
• Thermal and Heat-Resistant Gloves: For handling hot parts, light welding support, oven work, and any environment with significant heat exposure, with the heat rating clearly specified on the product.
• Electrical Safety Gloves: Specialist PPE gloves for electrical work, manufactured from insulating rubber and classified according to voltage ratings under IEC 60903 or equivalent standards. Electrical safety gloves must be inspected and tested regularly before use.

The right gloves come down to matching the construction and rating to the hazard present.

Common Work Glove Materials

The material a work glove is made from determines what it protects against and how it performs in service. The materials below cover most of the range.

• Leather: Durable, abrasion-resistant, and naturally heat-tolerant, leather gloves are suitable for heavy-duty handling and welding support applications.
• Nitrile Coating: Offers good grip and oil resistance, making it a standard choice for assembly, maintenance, and industrial handling work.
• Latex Coating: Delivers flexible grip and conforming feel, often used on general-handling protective gloves. However, consider latex-allergy implications across the workforce before specifying it as the site standard.
• PU (Polyurethane) Coating: Gives strong dexterity for precision and light assembly tasks while still providing palm grip, suiting fine work where bulky gloves would get in the way.
• Rubber and Insulating Materials: Used in specialist electrical safety gloves where voltage class, dielectric performance, and certification are the critical specifications.
• Fabric Liners: Provides underlying comfort, breathability, cut resistance, or thermal protection, with fiber choice (cotton, polyester, HPPE, aramid) determining the glove's working character.

Common Applications of Work Gloves

Work gloves are used across every industry that involves handling work. The applications below cover where these products earn their place.

• Construction: Construction work gloves handle timber, masonry, metal, tools, and general site materials, protecting against the cuts, splinters, and abrasion that are part of the working day on site.
• Manufacturing and Assembly: Industrial gloves protect hands during repetitive handling on the production line while maintaining the dexterity needed for the task.
• Warehousing and Logistics: Working gloves earn their place in picking, packing, lifting, and moving cartons, pallets and freight across distribution centers and warehouses.
• Maintenance and Engineering: Workshop maintenance and engineering teams use coated gloves for handling parts, tools, oils, and equipment, balancing grip against protection.
• Electrical Work: For electrical maintenance, installation. and live-working tasks, properly rated electrical safety gloves are the required PPE, used alongside other electrical safety procedures.

How to Choose the Right Work Gloves?

The right pair of work gloves depends on the hazard, the work, and the environment. Use the criteria below to narrow your selection.

• Hazard Type: Identify the primary risk, such as cuts, abrasion, impact, chemical exposure, heat, or electrical hazards, and select gloves tested to the appropriate standards (e.g. EN 388 for mechanical risks or EN 374 for chemicals). Choosing gloves based on actual hazard exposure ensures the protection level matches the real working conditions rather than relying on general-purpose solutions.
• Fit and Sizing: A poorly fitted glove reduces comfort, affects grip, and can compromise protection at the wrist or fingertip. Size the glove carefully to the wearer's hand.
• Dexterity vs Protection: Thinner, flexible gloves provide better tactile sensitivity and control for precision tasks, while heavy-duty gloves offer higher levels of protection against mechanical or thermal hazards.
• Grip Requirement: Different coatings provide varying levels of grip depending on environmental conditions, such as dry, wet, or oily surfaces. Selecting the right coating (e.g. nitrile for oil resistance or PU for precision grip) helps maintain control of tools and materials during use.
• Durability: For repeated industrial use, prioritize abrasion resistance and reinforced wear areas to extend the working life of each pair.
• Comfort: Breathability, flexible liners, and a comfortable cuff matter for all-day wear, particularly in warm conditions where sweat builds inside the glove.
• Compliance: Check the relevant PPE ratings and site requirements, especially for cut, chemical, heat, and electrical protection, and confirm the glove meets the certifications your operation requires.
• Budget and Availability: Compare the price of working and safety gloves across the range alongside their specifications rather than headline cost alone.

Care and Storage Tips for Work Gloves

Proper care extends the working life of any pair of work gloves and keeps them performing at the rating they were specified for. Follow the points below alongside the manufacturer's instructions.

• Inspect Before Use: Check each glove for holes, tears, thinning, contamination, or loss of grip before putting it on. A damaged glove no longer delivers the protection it was rated for.
• Clean as Recommended: Some reusable protective gloves can be wiped down or washed according to the manufacturer's guidance, while others should be replaced once contaminated. Follow the product instructions rather than guessing.
• Store Properly: Keep gloves dry, away from direct heat, sunlight, oils, and chemicals that could degrade the materials over time. Heavy-duty gloves and rubber-insulating gloves are particularly sensitive to UV and ozone exposure during storage.
• Replace When Worn: Gloves that no longer grip, fit or protect properly should be replaced. The cost of a fresh pair is trivial against the cost of a hand injury.

Why Buy Work Gloves from RS Philippines?

RS Philippines is a trusted supplier and distributor of work gloves, stocking general handling, industrial, heavy-duty, and construction work gloves alongside specialist protective and safety options at competitive prices. Our range of working gloves is sourced from trusted brands, such as Ansell, Skytec, RS PRO, and many more. Alongside our work gloves range, we also stock the complementary PPE including safety goggles and ear plugs, so you can fit out a complete PPE set from one supplier. Ordering online is simple: filter by hazard rating, material, coating, and size, review the datasheet, then add to cart for quick checkout, with expert technical support on hand. For full details on our delivery services and fees, please refer to our Delivery page.