Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people who work in manufacturing, industrial safety, glass handling, or any industry with similar hazards.

I work at a candle manufacturing plant where we produce candles in glass containers.

Any product that gets damaged during production goes to a recovery (salvage/rework) process. The job requires operators to reach into large containers filled with molten wax mixed with broken glass to recover usable material.

To be honest, it’s one of the most dangerous tasks I’ve seen in the plant. Between the broken glass and the hot wax, it feels like we’re one mistake away from a serious hand injury.

Right now we’re using bulky “clown gloves” (the oversized leather work gloves everyone has probably seen). They provide some protection, but they’re extremely bulky, reduce dexterity, slow the job down, and the task still feels risky.

I also tested seamless knit ANSI/ISEA A9 cut-resistant gloves with a leather palm. They did a great job preventing cuts, but the molten wax soaked through the knit material, so they weren’t suitable for the heat hazard.

I’m looking for recommendations for the most specialized gloves and arm sleeves you know of that could handle:

• Maximum cut resistance (ANSI A9 or equivalent)
• Protection against hot molten wax
• Good enough dexterity for handling broken glass
• Preferably something used in glass manufacturing, foundries, metalworking, recycling, or similar industries.

I completely understand that the best solution would be changing the process or implementing engineering controls rather than relying on PPE. Unfortunately, that’s not a decision I can make in my current position, so right now I’m trying to find the best available PPE to reduce the risk.

Any recommendations on specific glove models, brands, materials, or combinations of gloves and cut-resistant sleeves would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, and stay safe.

I fell and now my employer is trying to make me work when it's not safe

SIMOPS are a big deal. If they're poorly managed they can turn low risk activities into high risk ones. This graphic describes the basic elements of SIMOPS planning