Experimental evaluation of protected and unprotected hands under impact loading

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Biomechanics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Hand injuries pose a significant risk in industries like mining and oil/gas.
• Impact protective gloves are crucial for mitigating these hazards.
• Quantifying glove performance against controlled impacts is vital for worker safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the protective performance of metacarpal gloves against controlled impacts.
• To quantify the reduction in injury severity (fractures) and impact force with glove use.
• To compare the effectiveness of different glove types and protection configurations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized thirteen cadaveric hands for controlled impact testing.
• Applied impacts to proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, and metacarpal bones.
• Tested two types of metacarpal gloves with varying dorsal protection, comparing against unprotected hands.

Main Results:

• 191 impacts resulted in 108 fractures; 71% on unprotected hands vs. 40% on protected hands.
• Peak reaction force reduction varied by impact location and glove type, reaching up to 23%.
• Gloves demonstrated a notable decrease in fracture incidence and impact force transmission.

Conclusions:

• Metacarpal gloves offer significant protection against impact-related hand injuries in high-risk industries.
• Glove design and material configuration influence protective efficacy.
• Further research can optimize glove design for enhanced hand safety and reduced injury rates.