Hand Protection Signs communicate where suitable protective gloves must be worn to help protect against identified workplace hazards.

They are used in factories, engineering workshops, industrial maintenance departments, chemical handling areas and other workplaces where gloves form part of the required personal protective equipment.

At The Sign Shed, we supply Hand Protection Signs, Safety Gloves Signs and Protective Gloves Must Be Worn notices in a selection of sizes and materials.

Protective Gloves Must Be Worn Signs

A Protective Gloves Must Be Worn Sign communicates that suitable gloves are compulsory for a particular activity or within a designated work area.

These signs may be appropriate where a workplace risk assessment identifies hazards such as:

• Contact with particular chemicals.
• Cuts or abrasions from materials.
• Certain hot or cold surfaces.
• Contamination from specified substances.
• Other hand injury risks requiring protective gloves.

The type of glove required depends on the hazard.

A general mandatory glove sign does not identify every technical specification.

Wear Gloves Signs

Wear Gloves Signs provide a clear instruction to use suitable hand protection.

They may be useful at designated workstations, controlled handling areas or entrances where gloves are compulsory.

However, the instruction should reflect the actual task.

Gloves should not automatically be required for every activity in an engineering or manufacturing environment.

Hand Protection Signs for Engineering Workshops

Engineering workshops may involve handling materials, tools and components that present hand injury hazards.

Where suitable gloves are required, signs can communicate the instruction at relevant workstations or work area entrances.

However, particular machinery operations can create entanglement hazards.

For example, wearing gloves near exposed rotating machinery may increase the risk of a glove being caught and pulling the hand into moving parts.

The correct PPE arrangements must therefore be determined through the risk assessment and machinery operating instructions.

Hand Protection Signs for Chemical Handling Areas

Some chemicals can cause skin irritation, burns or other harm.

Where suitable chemical-resistant gloves are required, mandatory glove signs may be appropriate at:

• Chemical handling workstations.
• Controlled chemical transfer areas.
• Industrial cleaning stations.
• Laboratory work areas.
• Designated chemical processing zones.

The gloves must be suitable for the specific chemicals and exposure conditions.

A general Protective Gloves Must Be Worn Sign does not establish which glove material or specification is appropriate.

Hand Protection Signs for Maintenance Work

Industrial maintenance activities can involve different hazards depending on the equipment and task.

For example, handling sharp components may require cut-resistant gloves, while certain chemical cleaning operations may require suitable chemical-resistant gloves.

Where gloves are compulsory, appropriate signs can communicate the requirement.

However, the PPE arrangements should be reviewed for each task rather than assuming the same gloves are suitable for all maintenance activities.

Hand Protection Signs for Manufacturing Areas

Factories may have designated areas where suitable gloves are compulsory.

These could include particular materials-handling, assembly or processing operations.

A Hand Protection Sign may be appropriate at a work area entrance where the requirement applies throughout the area.

Where gloves are needed only for a particular activity, workstation-specific signage may communicate the requirement more accurately.

When Should Gloves Not Be Worn?

Gloves are not suitable for every task.

In particular, gloves can create an entanglement risk around certain rotating machinery.

For example, some operations involving rotating spindles, drills or lathes may require workers to keep gloves away from moving parts.

The correct approach depends on the equipment, guarding, task and safe working procedures.

A blanket Gloves Must Be Worn instruction should not be displayed where it conflicts with safe machinery operation.

Hand Protection Signs vs Hand Injury Warning Signs

These signs communicate different information.

Hand Protection Signs are mandatory notices telling people to wear suitable gloves.

Hand Injury Warning Signs alert people to hazards such as moving machinery, sharp edges or potential crushing injuries.

A mandatory glove sign does not replace machinery guarding, safe operating procedures or appropriate hazard warnings.

Where Should Hand Protection Signs Be Displayed?

Position signs where people can recognise the requirement before entering a glove-required area or beginning the relevant activity.

Suitable locations may include:

• Workshop entrances.
• Chemical handling stations.
• Industrial cleaning areas.
• Designated production zones.
• Maintenance work areas.
• Controlled materials-handling workstations.
• Temporary contractor work zones.

Where PPE requirements differ between tasks, avoid displaying general glove instructions that could be misleading.

Choosing Hand Protection Sign Sizes

The correct size depends on the viewing distance, lighting and mounting position.

Smaller signs may be suitable for workstation panels, internal doors and locations where people approach closely.

Larger signs may be preferable for factory department entrances, industrial work zones and locations where the instruction must be recognised from further away.

Choosing Hand Protection Sign Materials

The Sign Shed offers different materials across its PPE signage range.

Self-Adhesive Vinyl: Suitable for compatible smooth, clean surfaces such as doors and panels.

Rigid Plastic: A lightweight option for suitable wall-mounted applications.

Recycled Plastic: An alternative rigid sign material available on selected designs.

Foamex: A lightweight rigid signboard option available on selected products.

Aluminium Composite: A rigid material option for suitable industrial installations.

Check the available options on each product before ordering.

Hand Protection Signs & UK Workplace Requirements

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, as amended, establish duties relating to suitable PPE where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 establish requirements for appropriate safety signage where significant risks remain despite other protective measures and signage is necessary to communicate precautions.

Mandatory Hand Protection Signs typically feature a white glove pictogram within a blue circle.

BS EN ISO 7010 includes the recognised mandatory hand protection symbol, M009.

The specific signage required depends on the hazards, activities and protective measures identified through the workplace risk assessment.

Signs support, but do not replace, suitable PPE, training, supervision and safe working procedures.

Buy Hand Protection Signs from The Sign Shed

Whether you need Protective Gloves Must Be Worn Signs for a chemical handling area, Hand Protection Signs for a workshop or Safety Gloves Notices for an industrial workplace, The Sign Shed offers mandatory PPE signage for a range of applications.

Choose from available sizes, materials and designs to suit your installation.

Made in Britain, with automatic bulk savings available on eligible orders.

Browse our Hand Protection Signs and find suitable notices for your workplace.