Best Cold Weather Work Gloves For Electricians
Can electricians wear gloves in the winter? How can an electrician feel what he is doing while keeping their hands warm?
Electricians can wear gloves to avoid some injuries. When the temperature drops or when working outdoors, they are a must to keep your fingers warm. When handling small parts, some have Thinsulate removed from their fingertips.
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What makes a good glove for an electrician?
The option of working in ski gloves is not there for an electrician, so what do they do to keep their hands warm in frigid temperatures?
Well, like most of you, the electrician will search for a suitable glove that enables them to continue working.
A good glove needs specific properties to make it acceptable to work in when working on electrics.
The glove needs to provide warmth and, if possible, a decent level of dexterity while being tough and resilient to the rigours of electrical work.
What type of glove do you wear when threading cables?
For threading cables, through joists or conduits, you will need a pair of tough gloves. The gloves must have enough grip to prevent the cables from slipping through your fingers.
Knuckle padding is also essential to the electrician when pulling cables.
Handling cold cables
Cables can be hard to pull when the weather is warm but adding some ice in the air makes the cables inflexible.
You will reach the bend at some point on your cable run in either wood joists or steel conduits. If the bend is 45° or 90°, you will struggle with cold cables.
Eventually, you pull and push so hard that the cable moves and bang. Your knuckles are bleeding, it happens all of the time.
Your crystal ball has stopped working, and you just have no idea at what point the cable will move.
So, knuckle pads are essential, together with palm and finger grips.
Should I wear gloves when doing electrical work in the cold?
Yes, if your finger becomes numb, you could inadvertently touch a live terminal and electrocuted.
The question is, do you wear gloves for warmth or to protect you from electric shock? Both are relevant in cold working environments.
If your fingers are numb, there is a clear danger that you could touch a live terminal, but if your hands are bulky, the same scenario could occur, but your hands are warm.
Best glove for warmth and dexterity in the winter
Klein tools are a great choice for many reasons.
- Well constructed tough glove offering warmth
- Grip applied to the palms of the glove to allow for pulling cables without slipping
- Knuckle protectors to prevent bruising and cuts from cable pulls
- Thinsulate is removed from the fingertips to prevent bunching, which enhances the feel
- Faux leather and neoprene construction with spades for a perfect fit
- Affordable price
The Klein tool gloves are a masterpiece with much thought and consideration for the electrician working in cold environments.
The Klein tools gloves are available on Amazon for an affordable price. Click here to check them out.
How do you choose a glove for insulation?
Some electricians, especially those working with high voltages, tend to wear insulated gloves made out of pure rubber to prevent severe electric shocks.
When wearing this type of glove, you should wear an out hyde glove. The hyde glove will prevent a sharp copper strand from penetrating the glove and causing a fatal electric shock.
But how do you select an insulated glove? And what do the ratings mean?
Below is a table with the classifications and the voltage ratings to help you decide:
| Class of Equipment | Maximum Use Voltage (AC) | Proof tested (VDC) |
| 0 | 1.000 | 20,000 |
| 1 | 7,500 | 40,000 |
| 2 | 17,000 | 50,000 |
| 3 | 26,500 | 60,000 |
| 4 | 36,000 | 70,000 |
Do insulated gloves provide warmth on a cold day?
No. However, you can wear a pair of thinner gloves under the insulation if you still have the dexterity you require. And don’t forget, although they are not designed for warmth when wearing a hyde outer glove, they give some protection from the elements.
What’s the best insulating glove for the UK?
This is tough because all of the gloves are certified, so in effect should be the same, so for convenience, the ActivArmr Electrical insulating glove from Ansell.
You can buy direct from Ansell Gloves at the Ansell store. They are a little pricey at around £50.00, but what price do you put on safety?
Are nitrile gloves good for electrical work?
Nitrile is a great insulator, and frequently electricians wear nitrile gloves, are resistant to chemicals and scuffs and scrapes, and have thermal insulation properties.
But for use as an electrician when working on low voltage systems such as residential dwellings, the nitrile performs well in insulating the user from electric shock.
However, nitrile does have some limitations and will break down when exposed to 400 volts, so its uses are limited.
Will nitrile gloves prevent static shock?
Yes, nitrile is inherently anti-static and is used by folks who need gloves as an insulator or that has anti-allergenic properties.
The downside is nitrile is more expensive than latex or vinyl gloves.
Can you use rubber gloves with electricity?
Everyone seems to think that you can be protected from electric shock if you wear rubber gloves and rubber shoes. To some extent, this is true if they are made from pure rubber without any defects like punctures and tears.
But did you know rubber is not black and the substance they incorporate into rubber to colour the material is carbon black, which is conductive?
So, the next time you get the urge to walk through a puddle with a live wire in your wellies, think again because you could be electrocuted.
