Masonry work is one of the many demanding jobs in the world. It requires a person to constantly work with concrete blocks, bricks, stones, and any other such materials that are needed for building a particular structure.
There are cement masons, concrete finishers, brick masons, block masons, stonemasons, and terrazzo workers, all of which come under masonry work.
Each of these tasks or jobs requires a specialized or particular type of glove to give you an adequate amount of protection from injuries and other possible dangers.
Hence, if you are looking for one pair of gloves that will be suitable for all kinds of masonry work, there is none. Gloves meant for masonry work will always be made of coated fabrics and have specific features for the type of task at hand.
The ideal kind of gloves for masonry work should have a snug fit, well-fitted wrist, proper ventilation, versatile to various tasks, resistance to wear and tear, good grip, resistance to chemicals and hazardous substances, puncture-resistant, abrasion-resistant, padding, and must be able to withstand heavy-duty tools.
This article covers all the important features to look for when buying a pair of gloves for masonry work and the risks that are involved when you do not wear the right kind of gloves.
The glove features to consider for masonry work
Knowing about the various features of your work glove is as important as knowing the right type of glove to wear for your masonry work. In this section of the article, I have discussed several different features that you should look for when selecting your work glove.
1.) Good Fit: Check for the proper size of the glove. The gloves should have a snug fit so as to avoid getting caught up on any other object around you and coming off from your hands. A well-fitted glove will also allow you to work more proficiently and will be more responsive.
2.) Fitted wrist: The gloves should fit you well in the wrist area because dirt and scraps can enter into your gloves from there if it is loose.
This can be very troublesome while working as it can lead to skin irritation. It is also not the easiest to be removed.
3.) Well ventilated: The gloves should have good ventilation features, in other words, they should be constructed from premium materials. You definitely do not want to be uncomfortable while working due to poorly ventilated gloves.
Moisture and heat can get trapped in them, which will lead to excessive sweating causing bacteria to grow inside the gloves.
As a result, you will have to deal with nasty smelling gloves, and if you are lucky the smell will go away once washed well or you might have to get rid of them altogether.
4.) Versatile gloves: It is best to get gloves that can handle every type of task at hand, and is not limited to only stones or bricks.
Having such versatile gloves will save you a ton of time from having to switch between gloves when working, which ultimately makes it easier to work.
See also: Best Gloves for Rock Work
5.) Resistant to wear and tear: The gloves should be made from materials that do not tear easily. Yes, wear and tear are unavoidable when it comes to any piece of clothing, but when built from superior fabric it should be able to last you for a long period of time.
Even a tiny bit of rip on your glove can lead to the entire glove falling apart.
6.) Good grip: When working with any kind of material and object, you would want a good grip in order to be able to work efficiently.
Therefore, your gloves should feature an excellent grip so you can avoid hurting yourself and others around you. Having proper gripped gloves means prevention of dropping things that can cause injuries.
7.) Chemical resistant: It is likely that you will be working with concrete and various other types of chores that will require you to work with chemicals.
Therefore, it is important that your gloves should be resistant to chemicals and provide you with the right kind of protection when working with such hazardous things.
8.) Puncture resistant: Masonry work involves a lot of risks because you have to deal with stones, bricks, concrete blocks, sharp edges, etc.
This means you can easily get hurt when anything pointy gets into your skin, which means the skin gets punctured, scraped, and cut.
It is an extremely painful experience and I am certain that nobody wants to go through that, hence, it is best you wear gloves that can protect your hands from such mishaps.
9.) Abrasion resistant: Similarly, masonry work can quite easily lead to hurting yourself from rough and abrasive materials.
Wearing very light gloves will be of no help in such a case, therefore, you need to wear gloves that do not tear easily when handling rugged materials.
10.) Heavy-duty gloves: The gloves you choose to wear for your work should give you the flexibility to work with both heavy and light tools hassle-free.
More often than not, you may take off your gloves thinking you do not need them as there are no heavy tools to work with for that particular task.
However, you forget to put them back on when those heavy tools show up again, this can be risky for your hands. So, get the type of gloves that can handle all types of tools.
11.) Padding: Wear gloves that have some amount of padding in them. This will make it easier to lift heavy things and work with things that have a bumpy surface without injuring your tissues and nerves. Plus, you will not be fatigued that quickly.
What are the risks involved when not wearing the right gloves for masonry work?
If you have come this far to the article, you know the right features to look for in the gloves for masonry work.
It is also vital to understand the various risks and dangers involved in masonry work, and how wearing the right glove can help you avoid such issues and injuries.
1.) Abrasion injuries are one of the most common kinds of risks involved in masonry work. As a mason worker, you have to work with bricks or concrete blocks, which is why it is best that you shield your hands from abrasions by wearing good-quality gloves that are resistant to abrasions.
2.) Tools for cleaning masonry are very hazardous. The cleaning tools include caustic soda, muriatic acid, which are all very noxious chemicals, and when exposed to them it can be extremely lethal. Therefore, the appropriate type of gloves should be worn that can protect you from such chemicals.
3.) Weather can be menacing for mason workers because a lot of the work is done outdoors. In winters, you will need to protect your hands from the biting cold weather by wearing properly insulated gloves.
4.) Mason workers can get injured due to impact from equipment, tools, or materials they work with on a daily basis. Wearing gloves that minimize the injuries caused by such impact is beneficial.
5.) Cuts and gashes are common injuries as well that are caused by the tools mason workers have to use and also from certain materials that can easily tear the skin from a slight mistake. Hence, a good pair of gloves that are resistant to cuts will be able to protect your hands.
6.) Hazardous substances such as wet cement, chemical grouts, additives, and mortar mixes are all dangerous when you come in direct contact with them.
Your hands need to be protected from such substances at all costs, hence, chemical-resistant gloves are ideal for such mason workers.
7.) There is a lot of danger for a mason worker when working with bricks, wires, and tools. The hands are constantly in use, which is why they need gloves that can protect them from any such injuries caused by picking up such items.
8.) Windy conditions can be just as bad as cold weather conditions. A mason worker’s hands can get numb from working in such rough weather conditions. Wearing properly insulated gloves is what will make it easy to work in such an environment.
See also: 5 Best Work Boots for BrickLayers for Standing ALL Day
Wrapping up
Finding the right glove for your work is not the toughest when you know the risks that are involved in your line of work.
With the detailed list of features that we have laid out for you in this article, you should be able to find the ideal pair without any hassle.
All the high-end brands today make protective gloves to serve you well in your work environment. So, choose wisely!
