Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
web
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • ITEC
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • Silicone
    • Latex
    • Coronavirus
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Technical Notebooks
    • International Elastomer Show
    • Women in Tire & Rubber
    • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Goodyear recognized by Lockheed Martin as 'elite supplier'
      EV tire advancements to help secure future
      Lambillotte: Only question on AVs is timing
      CAR official says EV future brighter than autonomous
    • Angelos Papadimitriou to leave position with Pirelli after six months on job
      Hwa Fong joins Taiwan tire makers' bid for alternative to import duties
      NLRB certifies USW as bargaining unit for Kumho Tire plant in Georgia
      PTDA's Virtual Trade Show set for March 16
    • Hwa Fong joins Taiwan tire makers' bid for alternative to import duties
      NLRB certifies USW as bargaining unit for Kumho Tire plant in Georgia
      U.K. race series extends contract with Goodyear through 2026
      Air France extends deal with Michelin
    • A change at the top for Stockwell Elastomerics
      Flexan receives FDA registration for Suzhou facility
      63rd Polyurethanes Technical Conference set for fall
      Biden redirects course on emissions standards
    • New systems solutions advance the sustainability of automotive weatherseals
      Arburg: 2021 Technology Days in June will run for 6 days
      R&D, Group 1 oils shift keeps Nynas busy
      Arburg boosts electric machine business with AMK acquisition
    • A change at the top for Stockwell Elastomerics
      Flexan receives FDA registration for Suzhou facility
      Coi Rubber adding on to plant in China
      Proto Labs to buy e-commerce company 3D Hubs for $280 million
    • WCCO task force navigates pandemic, expands communications
      ASTM cancels April meetings as COVID-19 continues impact
      Paycheck Protection Program funding reopens Jan. 15
      Detroit Auto Show canceled; alternative event being planned for September
    • A change at the top for Stockwell Elastomerics
      Angelos Papadimitriou to leave position with Pirelli after six months on job
      Tero Peltomaki named Cimcorp CEO
      Synthomer CEO MacLean to step down by early 2022
    • Hwa Fong joins Taiwan tire makers' bid for alternative to import duties
      NLRB certifies USW as bargaining unit for Kumho Tire plant in Georgia
      Rubber industry associations focus agendas as Democrats take charge
      Mexico gives auto makers more time to meet USMCA rules
    • Editorial: Against a backdrop of turmoil, M&A deals give glimpse of normalcy
      Column: Pandemic looms over everything in life, business in 2020
      Column: Lessons from the 2020 Best Places to Work
      Editorial: Silicone hit hard by pandemic, expected to bounce back
    • Advancements in synchronous drive belt design for industrial and consumer markets
      Effects of multiple repurposed materials for reinforcements of standard rubber compounds
      Impact of peroxide blends on the cure rate and aged properties in HNBR
      Techniques to detect long chain branching in polymers
    • Rubber Division seeks abstracts for 200th Technical Meeting
      WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      IEC keynote: Communication key to logistics
      IEC speaker: Specialized elastomers may reduce spread of life-threatening pathogens
    • WORD panelists say evolution, authenticity keys to success
      New video celebrates women in rubber industry
      ITEC panelists say women can thrive in tire industry
      Rubber Division planning second Women of Rubber event
    • Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Faster Access to Your Polymer Compounding Experts Around the World
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Take a walk thru a HEXPOL Lab
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      HEXPOL offers a unique selection of High Performance Elastomers to match your application requirements
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      It’s what you can’t see that makes the Difference at HEXPOL
  • Blogs
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
    • New Products: Nova thinks outside the box with sealing tech
      New Products: MonTech introduces 1,500 kN lab press
      New products: 3M introduces new durable, pliable medical adhesive
      New Products: Lanxess launches energy-efficient PU elastomer
    • Wacky World of Rubber: How Trelleborg, teens sealed a spot in the world record book
      Wacky World of Rubber: Of chicken and feet, but not chicken feet
      Wacky World of Rubber: Time to go mattress shopping
      Wacky World of Rubber: Because nothing says football like 'frunk' shrimp
  • Newsletters
    • Rubber in Automotive
    • Silicone News
    • Latex News
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Angelos Papadimitriou to leave position with Pirelli after six months on job
      Hwa Fong joins Taiwan tire makers' bid for alternative to import duties
      NLRB certifies USW as bargaining unit for Kumho Tire plant in Georgia
      PTDA's Virtual Trade Show set for March 16
    • A change at the top for Stockwell Elastomerics
      Flexan receives FDA registration for Suzhou facility
      Coi Rubber adding on to plant in China
      Proto Labs to buy e-commerce company 3D Hubs for $280 million
    • Bridgestone bets on guayule as alternative natural rubber source
      Synthomer CEO MacLean to step down by early 2022
      Jack Murphy joins Akron Dispersions
      Synthomer optimistic, raises earnings forecast
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Directory
  • Resources
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Sponsored By HB Chemical
      The Company Behind the Inventory
      Sponsored By French Oil Mill Machinery
      Process Improvement, Cost Reduction with Custom Press Systems
    • Sponsored By Uncountable Inc.
      Cooper Standard deploys lab informatics platform to synchronize R&D
      Sponsored By Elkem
      LSR Selectâ„¢: A solution to improve your financial impact in molding applications
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Understanding and Selecting Performance Additives for Rubber Compounding
      Sponsored By HEXPOL Compounding
      Peroxide Cureable Silicone Injection Molding
  • Data
  • Events
    • RPN Events
    • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • ITEC Library
    • International Silicone Conference Library
    • 2021 Healthcare Elastomers Virtual Edition
      2021 Rubber in Automotive Virtual Edition
      2020 International Silicone Conference Virtual Edition
      2020 ITEC Virtual Edition
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
April 11, 2016 02:00 AM

Glove makers react calmly to proposed FDA ban

Miles Moore
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    WASHINGTON—Latex glove manufacturers reacted calmly to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposed rule banning most powdered medical gloves for sale or distribution in the U.S.

    Major manufacturers already are moving quickly away from powdered gloves and actively promoting powder-free gloves as a way of preventing asthma, latex allergies and other severe complications of exposure to powder, according to spokespersons for Ansell Ltd., Top Glove Corp. Bhd. and Showa Best Gloves Inc.

    “Ansell recommends those involved in health and safety policy decisions to convert their organizations from powdered to powder-free, low-protein latex or synthetic gloves as an effective method of reducing both patient complications associated with powdered gloves and the incidence of asthma and latex allergy in health care providers,” Ansell said in a statement.

    In a March 21 news release, the FDA said it intends to ban powdered surgical gloves, powdered patient examination gloves and absorbable powder for lubricating surgical gloves.

    “While use of these gloves is decreasing, they pose an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury to health care providers, patients and other individuals who are exposed to them, which cannot be corrected through new or updated labeling,” the agency said.

    Powder makes it easier to put on latex gloves or take them off, but that benefit is greatly outweighed by its dangers, the FDA said.

    “In particular, aerosolized glove powder on natural rubber latex gloves, but not on synthetic powdered gloves, can carry proteins that may cause respiratory allergic reactions,” the agency said.

    But powdered synthetic gloves, along with powdered latex gloves, also present risk of severe airway inflammation, wound inflammation, post-surgical adhesions and other problems, it said.

    In writing the proposed rule, the FDA said, it reviewed the voluminous scientific evidence on the effects of powder, as well as the 285 comments it received in response to a February 2011 Federal Register notice calling for comments on adverse reactions to powdered gloves.

    Also, the agency said it conducted an economic analysis that showed a ban on powdered gloves neither would cause a glove shortage nor have a significant economic impact on the medical glove industry.

    “The ban is also not likely to impact medical practice, because many non-powdered protective glove options are currently available,” it said.

    Powdered radiographic protection gloves would be exempt from the proposed rule, largely because they are no longer on the market, according to the FDA.

    Consumer safety group Public Citizen first petitioned the FDA for a ban on powdered gloves in 1998, and it petitioned it again in 2011.

    “The fact that it took the FDA 18 years to propose banning powdered surgical gloves from the market highlights how recklessly negligent the agency is,” Sidney Wolfe, founder and senior adviser of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said in a statement. “There is absolutely no new scientific information today that we didn't have in 1998.”

    There have long been plenty of alternatives to powdered gloves, according to Wolfe. “Even in 1998, a quarter of all surgical gloves were powder-free,” he said.

    Meanwhile, medical glove manufacturers made it plain they are concentrating on non-powdered gloves.

    “We don't do much in the way of powdered gloves, especially powdered examination gloves,” said Dave Shutt, director of product management at Showa Best. “We promote our examination gloves as powder-free.”

    Lim Cheong Guan, executive director of Top Glove, also said his company is unconcerned about the FDA proposal.

    “We do not expect a significant impact from this move, as the powdered gloves we export to the U.S. are for non-medical use,” he said. “However, should our customers decide to switch to powder-free gloves or nitrile gloves, we are able to accommodate this, as we have the production capacity to do so.”

    The Ansell spokesman said his company has conducted extensive research on latex allergies since 1992. Its research, he said, has shown that aerosolized glove powder spreads not only latex antigens but also opportunistic and pathogenic micro-organisms.

    “Ansell offers many comfortable powder-free glove styles with advanced technology and coatings, allowing the user to easily don the glove while enhancing patient and health care provider safety,” he said.

    The proposed rule appeared in the March 22 Federal Register.

    Related Articles
    Synthomer unveils nitrile rubber for ultrathin gloves
    Semperit to open new glove plant in Malaysia
    Medline adds equipment, employees
    Showa Denko's specialty grades hit market
    Semperit unit boosts capacity at Polish facility
    Government in slow motion
    Ansell divests boot business
    Ameritex opens latex glove facility
    Weak markets hamper Ansell growth
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber & Plastics News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber & Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber & Plastics News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    web
    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Contact the Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • ITEC
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • Silicone
      • Latex
      • Coronavirus
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Technical Notebooks
      • International Elastomer Show
      • Women in Tire & Rubber
      • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Blogs
      • Products
      • Wacky World of Rubber
    • Newsletters
      • Rubber in Automotive
      • Silicone News
      • Latex News
      • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Photo Galleries
    • Directory
    • Resources
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Data
    • Events
      • RPN Events
      • RPN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • ITEC Library
      • International Silicone Conference Library
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION