AT THE SHARP END:
HAND PROTECTION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

By Ed Byrne

Hand protection should be a priority area for police and prison officers who during their routine daily duties perform tasks which expose them to infection and bring them into contact with individuals who may be infected or disease carriers often unknowingly. The role and design of protective gloves is to create a barrier against hazards and reduce the risk from pathogens (hepatitis A, B, C, HIV), Edged (knives, razor blades) and pointed instruments (hypodermic needles, improvised weapons). Research has shown that the use of appropriate protective gloves can greatly reduce the risk of potential injury though it is impossible to provide 100% protection. It must be remembered that gloves offer only supplementary protection and should be no substitute for safe work practices and vigilance.

Research on protective hand wear has previously focused mainly on industrial and medical applications. It was not until 2001 that the advisory board of the American Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LETAC) undertook an evaluation and test of protective gloves available for Law enforcement and corrections use.

AREAS OF RISK
On our streets and in the country's prisons searching is an area where prison officers and Gardai (Irish police officers) are most at risk from pointed and edged concealed weapons. Each search carries the risk of infection whether it is physical search of offenders/suspects, clothes, cells, and work areas, vehicles. Searching is a high frequency high-risk area where hands are at constant risk. The palm area and fingertips are at most risk as 80%-90% of all needle sticks occur in the fingertip area.

Conducting searches of building or cells can leave officers at risk from purposely hidden malicious booby traps such as syringes or blades attached to the blindside of stair banisters, the underside of tables or needles facing upwards in pockets.

There is also risk present when inmates become violent either with staff or other prisoners, or in the case of Gardai on arresting or taking into custody violent persons. Hands are at risk from scratches, cuts, bites and wounds from pointed weapons, edged weapons and teeth.

The risks in these situations are that they are often dynamic and can happen suddenly without warning with little time available to stop and don gloves.

Many American law enforcement and correctional officers routinely wear gloves while on duty regarding them as important as their body armour and stab vests. They often carry more than one set of gloves; disposable gloves for pathogen protection which are worn over cut/puncture resistance gloves particularly those officers who are likely to more likely to have sustained interaction with infected individuals, or whose work area is a high risk area.

The glove can only provide protection when worn and some officers may be reluctant to wear gloves for reasons of their own. They may not like the image of arriving at an incident wearing black gloves fearing it may project a wrong public image, others for reasons of comfort or dexterity. The ‘canteen culture' of uniformed services can also influence officers afraid of appearing 'soft ' by wearing extra protection


GLOVE REQUIREMENTS
The glove must be matched to the level and type of threat that will be encountered, as well as offering the required level of protection the glove must be anatomically designed to provide complete manual dexterity and mobility without restricting tactility to perform normal duties such as cuffing, ability to id objects by touch, write, operate radio equipment and if necessary handle firearms
In the course of their comparative study the NLECTC (The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Centre) conducted a written survey of law enforcement and corrections personnel to establish their priority requirements for protective gloves. The following list is numbered in order of priority:

1. Protection from pathogens
2. Puncture resistance
3. Dexterity
4. Tear resistance
5. Cut resistance
6. Tactility/holding capability
7. Affordability

GLOVE MATERIALS FOR PRIMARY PROTECTION
It is difficult if not impossible to find a glove material that will protect against all threat levels and yet remain comfortable when worn for extended periods. The glove material chosen will be dependent on what tasks you will be expected to carry out. Glove protection for law enforcement usually consists of combinations of layered protective materials usually in a leather or PVC shell. Kevlar is a protective fiber manufactured by Dupont it is used by most glove manufacturers who weave and blend it to their own specifications.
Companies have achieved the tightest ever weave of Kevlar and which means that both edged and pointed weapons are met with far more protective fibres which ensures that the object will hit the Kevlar aramid material first. There are no gaps between the fibres for objects to slip through. While no glove is completely cut or puncture proof, gloves of this type will greatly enhance officer safety as they provide protection when searching to the venerable areas of the fingertips and palms.

Most leather- or pvc-covered gloves will give a designated levels of pathogen protection .In situations where there is an increased pathogen threat 'Double gloving' is another option where a disposable glove can be worn over the primary protective layer which can then be discarded, nitrile gloves in my experience are less prone to rip and tear than standard latex particularly when donning over another glove.

The American Gimbel Glove company manufacture a double layered nitrile type frisk and search glove which provides pathogen protection and puncture resistance it can also be reused unless damaged but disposal is recommended if they are exposed to blood. The wearing of nitrile type gloves can prove uncomfortable over extended periods and may not be practical to wear for an entire duty.

STANDARD ISSUE LATEX GLOVES
When we think of hand protection particularly against blood borne pathogens and other body fluids latex gloves spring to mind they are standard issue to emergency personnel. Latex gloves have a role to play in emergency situations but not I believe as a primary protection for the hand.

Many readers may be familiar with the situation of responding to an incident only to have a set of latex gloves rip or tear on donning usually at the most inopportune moment when dealing with a bleeding or violent offender. Nitrile gloves offer an alternative last longer and are less likely to rip or tear. In my experience they work well when worn over a primary protective layer. Latex gloves can also become hot and uncomfortable if worn for long periods, and in some individual they can cause an allergic reaction. Natural latex proteins and chemicals used during the manufacturing process of natural rubber latex NRL can irritate the skin, in some cases it is the powder (modified cornstarch) not the latex that causes reaction.

DANGEROUS DISEASES
For years HIV was the most feared disease. Today hepatitis C is regarded as far more frightening. It is a virus, which is spread by blood contact with an infected person. It is particularly common among injecting drug users. In a research report commissioned by the Department of justice Equality and Law reform in 1999 entitled ''Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in Irish Prisoners; Prevalence and Risk '' it was found that Hepatitis C was the most common infection in prisons. Hepatitis B infection among prisoners was 9%, Hepatitis C 37% and HIV 2%. Women prisoner’s rates were slightly higher with Hepatitis B 12%, Hepatitis C 42% and HIV 2%. The rates among declared drug users were higher still with Hepatitis B at 18%, Hepatitis C 80% and HIV 2.5%. It was also shown that Hepatitis B was more prevalent in those over 30 while Hepatitis C was seen more in those under 30.Given the high rate of recidivism among drug addicts it is likely that prison officers and Garden will have to deal with infected individuals during their routine duties Hepatitis C has been around since world war two but was not clinically identified until 1988. In America health officials estimate that a Million people are HIV positive while about 3 to 4 million are infected with Hepatitis C with up to 75% not knowing they are infected.

According to Debbie Borst who provides healthcare training for South Carolina police agencies, '' It can lie dormant for five to twenty years while it’s eating the liver cells. You may have some flu like symptoms in the beginning, but when they go away, you are generally symptom free. Then one day you wake with jaundiced skin, orange urine and yellow eyeballs or you may have liver cancer''

HIV virus cannot live outside the human body, but the Hepatitis C virus can survive outside the body for up to seven days. Another frightening fact is that a drop of HIV positive blood contains eight live viral particles whereas one drop of Hepatitis C blood can contain about a hundred making transmission more likely.

THE RISKS IN CONTEXT
So what is the real risk of officers contracting disease from contact exposure?
The rate of conversion (i.e. the likelihood of contracting the disease after exposure) is very low. Statistics researched by the American Center for Disease Control, reported that persons exposed to HIV have 0.3% (1 in 300) chance of becoming HIV positive. The risk from exposure contact to eye nose or mouth is approximately 0.1% (1 in 1000). Intact skin exposure to HIV infected blood is estimated at less than 0.1%.

The conversion rate for Hepatitis is slightly higher. Those vaccinated again Hepatitis B and have developed immunity to the virus face virtually no risk of infection. If unvaccinated a single needle stick or cut exposure to Hepatitis B infected blood presents a 6% to 30% risk depending on the level of virus in the blood. In the event of needle stick exposure to hepatitis C the risk of infection is 1.8%.

However what cannot be measured is the emotional and psychological trauma that goes with the chance of infection

Although conversion rates are low those 'on the ground' and management must not become complacent in dealing with areas where there is a high risk of contact exposure to HIV and Hepatitis A, B, C.

The risk can be managed with the provision of adequate personal protective equipment and up to date information and training as to the risks being faced
Regardless of the type of gloves you choose whether agency issued or privately purchased hand protection is vital .It protects both you and your family.

REFERENCES

Comparative Evaluation of Protective Gloves for Law Enforcement and Corrections Applications.
Pub. October 2001 Author NLCTC

'Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in Irish Prisoners: Prevalence and Risk'
Pub august 1999. Dept of community, health and general practice TCD

Article: Gloves, what you should know before buying your next pair.
By A David Bermann
Article: Optimum search & frisk Techniques for law enforcement personnel
By A David Bermann

'Rate your Risk' the facts about infections
European Commission

Gimbel Glove Company

Ed Byrne has been in the Irish Prison Service for the past 18 years serving as Officer and Assistant chief Officer. He is a Control & Restraint and Officer Safety Instructor with a back ground in Jujitsu, judo, boxing and a particular interest in defensive tactics and anything else that is reality based.
He has qualifications in criminology , training & education and is a consultant and trainer dealing with workplace violence & crime. He also contributes articles on his chosen areas to journals.
Ed Byrne can be contacted at ed.b@esatclear.ie