At the International Glove Association (IGA) annual meeting held this week in Palm Coast, FL, the group announced plans for a two-day educational course in all things industrial gloves, to be held in 2014, at a time and date to be determined.

The course is aimed at sales people working for safety distributorships and glove manufacturers. Two five-hour days are envisioned, according to Kim O’Leary, IGA president.

Content will cover eight segments of the industrial glove market, including glove testing, disposable gloves, cotton gloves, chemical-resistant gloves, cut-resistant gloves, and leather gloves. Content for each segment will be created by IGA volunteer committees.

Safety professionals and glove users will benefit from the expanded knowledge base of gloves and hand and arm protection of their glove suppliers.  There have been numerous advances in glove fabrics and the introduction of new fabrics. Glove testing methods are largely unknown among glove buyers and users. And gloves, like respirators, are a form of PPE that must be matched to specific hazards encountered.

A draft training module on coated gloves was presented at the annual meeting. IGA’s Board of Directors will give final approval to the course later this year.