If you work in a lab, it’s essential to have a containment glovebox handy. This is a crucial piece of equipment for any scientist. This means that scientists who work with hazardous materials in a lab that uses radioactive materials need a special glove box explicitly made for this purpose. The wear and tear on these special gloves are also increased for them to withstand higher levels of radiation. A Containment Glove Box provides a sterile, controlled environment for conducting experiments or handling hazardous materials. It can be used to work directly with these materials outside of the lab because it will keep all airborne particles and contamination contained within the gloves.

But what exactly is this type of glove box? Well, the easiest way to think about it is like an oversized rubber bowl that has been stretched over your hands (each wearing its pair of rubber gloves). You can walk around inside the rubber bowl while wearing the gloves, but you’ll be unable to touch anything that is not free of contamination. Also, it is essential to know that the radiation levels in a glove box are deficient during its use. This may sound like a good thing at first, keeping your hands and fingers safe from any radiation exposure, but it’s not so great.

Safety Guidelines While Using Containment Glove Box

If you’re working in containment Glove Boxes, you must follow specific safety guidelines. These are designed to keep your hands from becoming contaminated by the hazardous materials you work with.

Prevention from Contaminants

One of the biggest problems with using gloves while working with dangerous materials is that they can become contaminated if the outside surface of a glove becomes contaminated when exposed to any contaminants. You don’t want this to happen because it causes a chain reaction. The contamination keeps spreading, and anything that gets into contact with it continues to spread, which can make it quickly become out of control.

A Breathable Environment

While working in a Containment Glove Box, you need to make sure that the atmosphere inside and outside is not contaminated. This is vital because it keeps you from being exposed to any dangerous materials and keeps them from spreading. There are three ways that this is done:

  • By using a vacuum pump to monitor the pressure in the glove box.
  • Creating a closed system where no outside air can enter or leave the glove box when it’s closed for use.
  • Using HEPA filters to filter out all contaminants from the air on both sides of the glove box creates an equal environment for a safe work environment.

Safeguarding the Contaminant

While working in a glove box, it’s essential to protect the hazardous materials from contamination. To do this, laboratory technicians should use containment gloves that have undergone additional sterilization to block any external replicating of dangerous materials. This ensures that even if you make a mistake during an experiment and accidentally contaminate your hands or become contaminated by something else on your person or clothing, you will not be able to transfer it to anything in the environment. Gloves used in a glove box must also be changed after an experiment has been completed to remain safe and clean for the next time they are used.

How to Use a Glove Box

Just because you are using a glove box doesn’t mean you can leave it open while working. Instead, you should close the glove box’s outer shell as soon as you walk inside and lock it when you need to remove your gloves and exit the box. This can be accomplished by simply running the lock on its latch through one of the two holes on top of each half of the glove box. The outside is then covered with a vast rubber bowl that protects everything inside from contamination, pressure, and all other forms of exposure.

Containment Glove Box suppliers can help you understand and meet your containment needs. They provide hands-on training on operating a glove box which is essential for anyone who wants to use one in their facility. By attending a hands-on training session, you’ll learn not only how to operate a glove box but also what to do in case of an emergency, such as a fire, when you are inside of it.