• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.298-305
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• 2011

Objectives: There has been a great amount of controversy in the food industry over the effectiveness of using gloves. The objectives of this study were to examine the microbial contamination of food handlers' hands and determine if using gloves could ensure safe handling of foods. Methods: Samples were collected through the glove-juice method from the bare and gloved hands of food handlers at work and were analyzed for the presence of aerobic plate counts, total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Microbiological testing was conducted according to the Food Code of Korea. Results: Microbial contamination was consistently higher with bare hands than with gloved hands, although the microbial loads on both hands increased over time. Under certain conditions, there were significant differences between the bacterial loads on bare and on gloved hands (p<0.05). E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella spp. were still alive on both bare and gloved hands at the time the food handlers finished their work. Conclusions: Wearing gloves was associated with a marked reduction of bacterial contamination of the hands. However, the practice of continuously wearing gloves during food handling increases the potential for cross-contamination of bacteria. The findings of this study emphasize the need for a rational use of gloves, and strict adherence to hand hygiene compliance among food handlers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.966-976
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• 2017

This study investigated the effects of wearing latex gloves with inner gloves on the skin hydration of the hands. Fifteen young males participated in the following three conditions: bare hand (BH), latex glove (LG), and latex glove with inner glove condition (LGIG) at an air temperature of $28^{\circ}C$ with 50%RH. Subjects typed a book for 120 min. The results were as follows. Skin hydration was greater for LG and LGIG than BH (p<.001), but no difference was found between LG and LGIG. Skin hydration showed greater values on the thenar and dorsum compared to the palm for both LG and LGIG (p<.05). Skin hydration on the thenar increased during the typing for LG and LGIG, but on the dorsum, palm and finger maintained after 40 min typing. There were positive relationships between hand skin hydration and hand temperature (p<.05). Subjects indicated 'much warmer' and 'more humid' for the LG and LGIG compared to the BH (p<.001), but no differences were found between LG and LGIG. In conclusion, wearing inner gloves inside latex gloves did not induce a reduction of skin hydration and hand temperature; however, significant differences were found in all measurements between bare hands and gloved hands.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.912-921
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• 2020

We examined the rates of pathogenic bacterial cross-contamination from gloves to meat and from meat to gloves during pork processing under meat-handling scenarios in transfer rate experiments of inoculated pathogens. The inoculated pork contained ~5-6 Log10 CFU/g pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (Sal. enteritidis). On cotton gloves, after cutting the pork, the cutting board, knife, and cotton gloves showed 3.07-3.50, 3.29-3.92 and 4.48-4.86 Log10 CFU/g bacteria. However, when using polyethylene gloves, fewer bacteria (3.12-3.75, 3.20-3.33, and 3.07-3.97 Log10 CFU/g, respectively) were transferred. When four pathogens (6 Log10 CFU/g) were inoculated onto the gloves, polyethylene gloves showed a lower transition rate (cutting board 2.47-3.40, knife 2.01-3.98, and polyethylene glove 2.40-2.98 Log10 CFU/g) than cotton gloves. For cotton gloves, these values were 3.46-3.96, 3.37-4.06, and 3.55-4.00 Log10 CFU/g, respectively. Use of cotton gloves, polyethylene gloves, knives and cutting boards for up to 10 hours in a meat butchering environment has not exceeded HACCP regulations. However, after 10 h of use, 3.09, 3.27, and 2.94 Log10 CFU/g of plate count bacteria were detected on the cotton gloves, cutting board, and knives but polyethylene gloves showed no bacterial count. Our results reveal the transfer efficiency of pathogenic bacteria and that gloved hands may act as a transfer route of pathogenic bacteria between meat and hands. The best hand hygiene was achieved when wearing polyethylene gloves. Thus, use of polyethylene rather than cotton gloves reduces cross-contamination during meat processing.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.372-377
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• 2020

Infection risks of handling specimens associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by public health laboratory services teams were assessed to scrutinize the potential hazards arising from the work procedures. Through risk assessments of all work sequences, laboratory equipment, and workplace environments, no aerosol-generating procedures could be identified except the procedures (mixing and transfer steps) inside biological safety cabinets. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, protective gowns, face shields/safety goggles, and disposable gloves, together with pertinent safety training, was provided for laboratory work. Proper disinfection and good hand hygiene practices could minimize the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work. All residual risk levels of the potential hazards identified were within the acceptable level. Contamination by gloved hands was considered as a major exposure route for SARS-CoV-2 when compared with eye protection equipment. Competence in proper donning and doffing of PPE accompanied by hand washing techniques was of utmost importance for infection control.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to compare the hand disinfection effect of waterless alcohol gel hand washing agent with that of soap and water, 4% chlorhexidine gluconate, and 10% povidone-iodine. Hands of fourty subjects were artificially contaminated with Acinetobacter baumannii $5m{\ell}$ and randomly distributed to each hand washing methods. Samples were collected from gloved hand by glove juice sampling procedure. Mean log reduction after hand washing were compared with baseline values. Number of microorganisms were converted to log and tested by ANOVA in SPSSWIN 10.0. Mean log reduction of soap and water, alcohol gel, 4% chlorhexidine gluconate, 10% povidone-iodine were $2.76{\pm}0.62$, $2.97{\pm}0.56$, $4.66{\pm}1.70$, $4.60{\pm}0.91$, respectively. The bactericidal effect of alcohol gel was similar to that of soap and water, but the effect was much less than chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine(p<0.001). In terms of microorganism reduction, the efficacy of waterless alcohol gel was almost the same as soap and water hand washing. Further evaluation of the bactericidal effect of waterless alcohol gel is needed because waterless alcohol gel is simple, convenient, and non-irritating hand washing agent and also very effective in busy hospital environment.