The link below discusses current thinking on latex allergy in relation to the gloves used in healthcare. The broad conclusion is that risks associated with their use may have been overstated. EcoGlove is non-partisan in this respect because its Tra@ce gloves are available in both NRL and synthetic form.

However, given that gloves made of NRL are still the ‘gold standard’ in terms of safety characteristics with respect to the transmission of pathogens and efficacy in protecting against blood-borne viruses, as well as enabling dexterity for the wearer, it is worth re-emphasising the additional levels of the safety, over and above conventional single use disposable gloves, that EcoGlove provides.

Firstly, Tr@ce gloves are made from a special, patented, de-proteinised latex from which the allergens have been all but eliminated; they are free of the powder widely seen as a key promoter of the problem; and all the accelerators and chemicals used in their manufacture have been carefully selected to avoid those linked to type IV sensitisation (the same applying for Tr@ce nitrile gloves).

Secondly, Tr@ce gloves are subject to unprecedented individual inspection and decontamination, from new and each time before they are reused. Conventional disposable gloves are not required to conform to any minimum contamination standards and are routinely far from ‘clean’. Tr@ce gloves are also individually tested for pinholes before each use, thereby adding another level of protection for healthcare workers. (From January 2009 the FDA has mandated that pinhole incidence must be reduced from 4 to 2.5, emphasising the importance of the risk seen to be associated with them.)

Tr@ce gloves set a new, high standard for the multiple advantages that NRL provides.

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