Rigging works with the hands close to loads that weigh tonnes, and the injuries are correspondingly serious. Much of the risk is controlled by how the load is managed and where hands are placed, but the gloves still have a job: protecting against wire rope strands, sharp hardware, abrasion and impact, while allowing the worker to assemble a shackle or tie a hitch. The specification has to satisfy both halves of that requirement.
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The Hazard First, the Product Second
It is worth being explicit about the difference between a hazard a glove can reduce and one it cannot. Cut, abrasion and impact are contact hazards: a glove changes how much of the energy reaches the skin, which is why the properties are specified and documented. A pinch or a crush is a load hazard, and the forces involved are far beyond anything a glove can manage, so the control is where the hands are and when the load moves, not what is worn on them.
The dominant hazard in lifting work is the load itself. A shifting load, a tensioned sling or a moving shackle can pinch or crush, and no glove changes that: the control is hand placement, tag lines, exclusion zones and the discipline of keeping hands out of the load path while it is moving. Alongside that, the practical hazards of the trade are mechanical. Wire rope presents broken strands that behave like blades; shackles, hooks and slings abrade; heavy components and tools create impact; and grip on wet, oily or icy hardware decides whether a hitch can be tied safely.
Those hazards lead to a glove with a specific combination: cut performance for the wire, a durable palm for abrasion and grip, and impact protection on the back of the hand where components and tools can strike. Dexterity is not optional either, because a glove that prevents the wearer from handling a shackle pin will be removed for the assembly, which is often the moment the load is at its least controlled.
What the Risk Assessment Has to Establish
The dexterity requirement deserves its own line because it decides whether the glove stays on. A rigger has to assemble a shackle, insert a pin, tension a sling and check hardware by touch, and every one of those operations becomes harder with bulk. Where the glove cannot do the job, the practical outcome is that it is removed for those minutes and worn again afterwards, which is a more dangerous pattern than wearing nothing because the worker believes they are protected.
Occupational hand protection requirements sit in 29 CFR 1910.138 in the United States, with the general selection framework in 29 CFR 1910.132, and European buyers work through the PPE Regulation and the mechanical risk standards for gloves. For lifting work, the assessment should record:
- The materials handled: wire rope, chain, webbing slings, shackles, hooks and the load itself.
- The cut and abrasion exposure, including whether broken wire is present and how the sling is handled.
- The impact exposure, from components, tools and the load during connection and release.
- The grip conditions, including rain, oil, grease, ice and contamination from the load.
- The dexterity required to assemble and check the rigging hardware.
- The environment: height, confined positions, extreme temperatures and exposure to traffic.
- The controls in place, since hand placement rules, tag lines and exclusion zones reduce the exposure before any glove is considered.
The employer owns the assessment, and the supplier documents what the glove is tested to. The most important line in this assessment is the one describing the controls, because the glove cannot address a crushing hazard and should not be presented as though it could.
Which Hazards This Category Covers and Which It Does Not
The category also covers the small details that decide whether a glove is used at all: the cuff design, the grip texture and the fit across the size range. Those are not protection properties in a standard, but in lifting work they determine whether the glove is on the hand at the moment of contact.
This family covers gloves with documented cut performance, abrasion resistance, impact protection and grip, used for handling slings, rigging hardware and loads. It sits within the hand protection range alongside the other mechanical families issued in the same operations.
What it does not do is prevent a pinch or a crush. Those outcomes are controlled by planning the lift, keeping hands out of the load path, using tag lines, working from a safe position and stopping the lift when it is not safe to continue. A glove reduces the severity of contact with an edge, a strand or a rough surface; it does not change what a moving load does to a hand placed between two surfaces. Nor does it protect against a sling failure, which belongs to inspection and load rating rather than to personal protective equipment.
Matching Task to Protection Level
Where a lift involves several phases, the specification should name the glove for each of them and say where the change happens.
That is a practical instruction rather than a paperwork exercise, because the point in a lift where a glove is changed is also the point where the crew can stop and check that the load is still secure.
| Task | Dominant exposure | Glove characteristics that follow | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handling wire rope slings | Cut from broken strands, abrasion | Cut resistant glove with a durable palm and a secure fit | Documented cut performance and grip on the rope |
| Assembling shackles, hooks and pins | Pinch and abrasion with a dexterity requirement | Thinner glove that still allows hardware to be handled | Ability to work the hardware without removing the glove |
| Connecting and releasing heavy components | Impact to the hand, pinch points | Impact performance on the back of the hand with grip on the component | Evidence for the impact property and clearance from the load |
| Working in rain, oil or ice | Reduced grip on hardware | Coating or palm material suited to wet and slippery conditions | Grip trial in the condition present at the lift |
| Directing lifts by hand signal | Communication as well as protection | Visible glove that does not reduce signal clarity | Signal visibility for the operator and the banksman |
| Steel erection and structural work | Cut, impact, abrasion and heat | Glove selected for the dominant exposure of each phase, with a change of glove between them | The task sequence and the protection specified for each part |
Read across the table, the glove is specified for the mechanical work around the load, and the controls that keep hands out of the load path are specified alongside it rather than replaced by it.
Where Selection Usually Goes Wrong
One failure is procedural: gloves are issued for the trade rather than for the phase of the job. A crew connecting slings and a crew aligning steel are doing different work with different exposures, and the glove that suits the first is often wrong for the second.
- Protection expected against crushing. No glove prevents a pinch injury; hand placement and load control do.
- Dexterity sacrificed. A glove that prevents hardware being handled is removed at the moment it is needed.
- Wire rope handled without cut protection. Broken strands cut through ordinary leather quickly.
- Grip chosen for dry conditions. Wet, oily and icy hardware is where control is lost.
- Glove used at the wrong stage. The glove that suits handling a sling may be unsuitable for erecting the structure it is lifting into.
- Signals made invisible. Dark or heavily worn gloves reduce the clarity of hand signals.
- No replacement rule. Gloves used past coating or palm breach no longer match their marked performance.
The Hierarchy of Controls Around the Selection
Lifting work is planned before it is equipped. Lift plans, rated and inspected slings, correct hardware for the load, tag lines to control the load from a distance, exclusion zones, planned hand placement, the discipline to stop the lift when conditions change, and communication arrangements between the banksman and the operator all reduce the exposure. Where a person has to place their hands on a load at height, the method should be reviewed before the glove is upgraded.
Personal protective equipment is the last line of defence, and in this category it protects against the mechanical hazards of the trade rather than the consequences of a failed lift. That distinction is worth stating in the specification, because a glove that appears to offer protection against a crushing hazard can lead to a relaxed attitude towards the controls that actually matter.
Specification Points to Fix Before Ordering
Where a site operates several lifting disciplines, it is worth writing the requirement by task and keeping the stock close to where the work is done, so that the correct glove is the nearest one rather than the one in a store.
- The materials handled and the cut, abrasion and impact exposures they present.
- The properties required, with the standard and performance documented for each.
- The dexterity requirement, confirmed by a trial with the actual hardware.
- Grip performance in the conditions present: wet, oily, icy or contaminated.
- Visibility and signal clarity where hand signals are used.
- Fit and retention, including the cuff design and its behaviour around moving loads.
- Replacement criteria and stock at the point of use, since these gloves wear quickly.
- Documentation required with the quotation: test evidence, care instructions and traceability.
The glove families used in lifting work are listed on the cut resistant gloves page, and the impact performance that connection and release tasks require is covered in Shield Wings’ article on impact protection gloves and ANSI/ISEA 138, which owns that topic. The full range is set out in the hand protection category.
Shield Wings manufactures hand protection at a Guangdong production base, including cut resistant and coated families, and supplies construction, industrial, energy and distribution customers with product information and documentation. The specification that works in rigging describes the materials handled, the dexterity the job needs and the conditions it is performed in, and leaves the prevention of crushing to the method rather than to the glove.
For the wider topic and related decisions, see our Hand, Cut & Impact Protection.
Evidence to Verify Before Approving Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling
A supplier claim is not enough to approve Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling. The purchasing file should connect the workplace hazard to the exact model, its supporting documents, and the configuration workers will actually receive.
| Verification item | What to request | Reason to stop approval |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard basis | Task, exposure, environment, and the site assessment that created the requirement | The product is being selected from a catalogue without a documented hazard basis |
| Exact product identity | Model, size range, material or component specification, and revision | The quotation and test document refer to different models or constructions |
| Model-specific evidence | Applicable standard, edition, test method, result, laboratory, and report date | Only a generic certificate, logo, or supplier declaration is available |
| System compatibility | Instructions showing how the item works with the rest of the PPE ensemble | Fit, coverage, accessories, or another PPE item creates a protection gap |
| Receipt and change control | Approved sample, SKU or lot link, inspection criteria, and notice of material changes | The delivered item cannot be tied back to the approved sample and evidence |
For U.S. programs, keep this evidence with the employer’s PPE assessment and training records. OSHA’s general PPE requirements make hazard assessment, suitable equipment, proper fit, and employee training separate obligations; a product certificate does not replace them. See 29 CFR 1910.132.
When to Reopen the Selection Decision
Approval should not be treated as permanent. Reassess Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling when the work, product, evidence, or condition changes.
- The task or exposure changes: repeat the hazard assessment before carrying the old specification into a new process, energy level, temperature, chemical, or work location.
- The supplied construction changes: obtain revised model-specific evidence when fabric, coating, component, accessory, test standard, or manufacturing route changes.
- Fit or compatibility fails: stop issue when movement, coverage, visibility, communication, dexterity, or another PPE item is compromised.
- Damage or contamination appears: follow the manufacturer’s inspection and retirement instructions rather than relying on appearance alone.
- Records no longer match: quarantine stock when the label, SKU, batch, user instructions, and supporting report cannot be reconciled.
This review gate turns procurement into a controlled decision: hazard → model → evidence → fit trial → receipt inspection → periodic reassessment.
FAQs
How should a workplace select Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling?
Start with the documented task and hazard assessment, then match the exact product model and configuration to the applicable requirements. Confirm fit and compatibility with the rest of the PPE system before issue.
What evidence should a buyer request for Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling?
Request model-specific documentation that identifies the product, applicable standard and edition, test method, result, laboratory, and report date. The quotation, label, instructions, and test evidence should describe the same construction.
When should Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling be reassessed?
Reassess it when the task, exposure, work environment, product construction, applicable requirement, or other PPE in the ensemble changes. Damage, contamination, poor fit, and missing records also trigger review.
Can a certificate alone approve Hand Protection for Rigging, Lifting and Load Handling?
No. A certificate may support one part of the decision, but the employer still needs a hazard-based selection, proper fit, worker training, compatible equipment, and inspection and retirement rules for the actual workplace.