Work gloves are an important and understated part of appliance repair. Thousands of repair manuals, guides, and videos mention wearing gloves, and just as many don’t. But professionally trained appliance repair techs know that work gloves should be part of almost every supply list and toolkit. Wearing work gloves is more than just tradition, it’s a vital safety measure, and for more than one reason.

Today, we’re highlighting the five most important reasons to wear work gloves during appliance repairs. 

1) Sharp Edges

Appliances are built to be safe for the end-users to handle. The rounded and enameled edges stop,  however, wherever the appliance fastens shut. This means that when you’re opening up an appliance, you have a much higher chance of handling an unexpected and deceptively sharp edge. The underside of a dryer top panel, for example.

Internal components of appliances may also be sharp, and often stick out at angles that are hard to dodge. Wear your work gloves to protect your hands from cuts when lifting a sharp-edged panel or working inside appliances with sharp-edged components. 

2) Gripping Tool Handles

Tool handles pose another challenge. While most tool handles are ridged to be more grippable, sometimes you need more grip than is easy to get. Smooth plastic tool handles held at odd angles, for example, are all too easy to drop into an appliance housing. Or lose the screws instead.

Work gloves make tool handles easier to grip. Not only for holding onto handles, but also for tightening vital mounting screws into place and holding components firmly without slipping or ripping the skin of your hands. 

3) Dulling Electrical Shock

Did you know that the right work gloves can protect you from mild electrical shocks? Little shocks are a risk of appliance repair because some appliances and components retain a little charge even after the power is cut. Thick leather or synthetic pads on your work gloves can protect your fingers from the risk of being shocked.

The gloves do this by absorbing and dispersing the released electricity, and reducing the conductivity between your hands and the source of the spark. By wearing your work gloves, you can ensure that little shocks are not a serious risk of being scorched or jolted. Of course, work gloves are no substitute for electrical safety and you must still take every precaution to cut the power before working on an appliance. 

4) Protection from Impacts

Cushioned work gloves can even provide slight protection from impacts during appliance repair. If a propped up panel falls on your hand, it will not be cut and the bruise will be less if you are wearing sturdy work gloves. Your fingers will be safer from poorly aimed tool strikes, and your hands will be protected from tension-released components or even touching fan-blades. A work glove can’t completely stop injury from impacts, but it can cushion them and prevent skin damage. 

5) So You’re Wearing Them When You Need Them

The final reason to wear work gloves is so that you’ll already have them on the day you need them most. If you get into the habit of putting on your well-fitting work gloves every time you start a repair, you’ll be wearing them when an appliance panel is unexpectedly sharp as you grip it. You’ll be able to grip your tools without worrying about slippery handles. You’ll be wearing your gloves when a circuit you’re working with retains a shocking charge. You’ll be wearing your work gloves when you have to use a mallet and clip your thumb in the strike.

Wearing your work gloves is an important decision for any appliance repair technician because when you need them, they’d better already be on. While work gloves are no substitute for careful safety precautions, they can prevent dozens of minor on-the-job hand injuries. For more industry insights from Fred’s Appliance Academy, contact us today!