What are your thoughts on glove use in an organic chemistry lab setting?
I was trained from my Bachelor's to always wear gloves in lab unless using equipment and lab computers with clear instructions stating otherwise. Even in the safety course during my Ph.D., we discussed the benefits of wearing gloves as an extra layer of protection that buys time to reduce chemical exposure. No glove can behave as a barrier to all chemicals, but I was trained to be vigilant to chemical exposure on my gloves and remove them as quickly as possible.
I have recently joined another academic lab as a postdoc, and I learned that this chemistry department takes the exact opposite stance to glove safety. Here, gloves apparently only give researchers a false sense of security that can dull the sense of touch and prevent you from recognizing chemical exposure. This delay can then increase your chemical exposure as the chemical absorbs through the glove. I always see my labmates and others grab chemicals and solvents without gloves.
Before you get judgemental, I'm not a complete prude. I have been known to grab clean looking bottles and containers without gloves. But some of these people have been trained to the point where they are comfortable grabbing nasty ass bottles as if there isn't an increased risk.
Honestly, people can do what they want. I am mostly salty about the gentle reprimands I get every month of lab safety and my misuse of gloves.
Nah, you should never wear gloves blindly, but fit them to type of hazards. There are published tables, preferably, use ones from your safety authority and ones from glove manufacturer. Misusing gloves is indeed a serious violation of safety codes and a hazard.
There is also anti-industrial common sense stance, but you wouldn't be asking this question if you respected that.