If you have ever purchased disposable safety products such as face masks or protective gloves, you know how important these products are to your health and safety. In order to make these transactions as smooth as possible, we thought we would clear up some of the most confusing terms related to disposable safety products. As with any major industry, this industry certainly has its fair share of “jargon.” If some of that jargon has you scratching your head on a regular basis, continue reading below.

 

Absorbable Dusting Powder

This helpful powder is used to make gloves easier to put on. It is a mix of edible modified cornstarch and a small percentage of magnesium oxide.

 

B Grade Gloves

B grade gloves are also known as “industrial grade” or “general purpose” gloves. These gloves are not to be used in a medical setting, as they do not meet the strict medical standards. Typically, there will be a warning on the box that these gloves are “not for medical use.” These cannot be used as exam gloves.

 

Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate occurs naturally in chalk, limestone, and sea shells. It is added to disposable gloves during the production process, in order to aid the release of the gloves from their hand molds.

 

Elongation

Elongation is the measurement of the length that a disposable glove can be stretched before it breaks. It is expressed as a percentage of the original glove right before the breaking point. More stretchable material will have a higher elongation percentage.

 

Filtration Value (Face Masks)

Filtration value is simply the percentage of particles of a certain size that are filtered out of the face mask. This is determined by the mask’s filtration material, as well as its pore size (in microns). A more protective face mask will filter out a higher percentage of small particles. It is crucial to be mindful of both the percentage of particles that a mask filters out, as well as the size of those particles. The two terms used to describe these values are Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) and Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE).

 

Fluid Resistance (Face Masks)

Fluid resistance (also known as splash resistance) is the ability of a given face mask to resist the penetration of blood and bodily fluids. It measures the mask’s ability to prevent the penetration of blood or fluids. The higher velocity of blood or fluid that the face mask is able to stop, the more fluid resistant it is considered to be.

 

Modulus

This term refers to how much a glove can be stretched. A “low modulus” glove has a high elongation percentage, while a “high modulus” glove is more difficult to move and stretch.

Permeation

Permeation is the movement of a given substance through a thin film (such as that of a protective glove), on a molecular level.

Tensile Strength

Tensile strength is the measurement of the amount of force that it takes to break a glove. It is measured in “MPa.”, meaning that the higher the MPa, the stronger the glove.