Anti-vibration glove deflecting sound waves

Are Anti-Vibration Gloves Really Protecting You? The Truth About ISO 10819 Certification

Lena Kashyap in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 5 min read.

"Unveiling the limitations of current anti-vibration glove standards and what it means for your health and safety."

In many workplaces, exposure to hand-transmitted vibration from power tools is a significant risk, leading to a range of debilitating conditions collectively known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). HAVS can manifest as neurological, vascular, and musculoskeletal problems affecting the hands, fingers, elbows, and shoulders. Symptoms include reduced grip strength, impaired tactile sensitivity, decreased manual dexterity, and cold-induced finger blanching, all of which can severely impact a worker's quality of life and ability to perform their job.

When higher priority, more effective controls are unavailable, anti-vibration gloves are often used as a form of personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate vibration transmission from tool handles to workers' hands. Marketed as a solution to reduce vibration exposure, these gloves are expected to meet specific vibration transmissibility criteria outlined in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 10819 (2013). This standard is considered the benchmark for anti-vibration glove certification, promising a level of protection that workers and employers can rely on.

However, the effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves in preventing HAVS is a subject of ongoing debate. Issues arise concerning the methodologies used for glove testing and the requirements for glove design and composition as defined in ISO 10819 (2013). The actual performance of these gloves can vary significantly based on tool vibration characteristics and the individual anthropometrics of the workers using them. This article delves into the limitations of the current international standards for testing and certifying anti-vibration gloves, questioning the true degree of protection they offer. It cautions users to carefully consider both the potential benefits and drawbacks on a case-by-case basis, ensuring a more informed approach to workplace safety.

ISO 10819: Are Anti-Vibration Gloves Overrated?

Anti-vibration glove deflecting sound waves

While ISO 10819 is the gold standard for anti-vibration glove certification, its methodology has notable limitations. Compliance with the standard's criteria doesn't guarantee effective protection against HAVS, raising concerns about the reliability of certified gloves. Here are key issues:

The ISO standard evaluates glove performance by measuring vibration solely on the palm in the z-axis (direction of the forearm). This assumes that if a glove performs well on the palm, it will also provide adequate protection to the fingers. However, research indicates that vibration isolation varies significantly depending on the direction of the input signal and the anatomical location of the measurement.

Limited Measurement Points: ISO 10819 only requires palmar measurements in the z-axis, neglecting vibration transmission to the fingers, where the primary health effects of hand-transmitted vibration occur.
Varied Performance: Vibration transmissibility can differ significantly between the palm and fingers, meaning a glove's effectiveness is not uniform across the hand. Rezali and Griffin (2015) found that vibration transmissibility in the palm is considerably less than in the index finger, highlighting the positional differences in glove performance.
Potential Overestimation: By ignoring vibration transmission to the fingers, the effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves may be overestimated. Hewitt et al. (2014) suggest that relying solely on palmar measurements can lead to an inaccurate assessment of a glove's protective capabilities.

The frequency weighting used in the ISO standard is based on comfort rather than actual vascular, neurological, or musculoskeletal damage. This single weighting scheme may not adequately assess the various effects, as these can vary in frequency specificity. Although anti-vibration gloves reduce vibration in the high frequencies (especially in the z-axis), the current ISO frequency weighting reduces the influence of high frequency vibration exposures (>160 Hz) to less than 10% of their actual value. This increases the likelihood that glove effectiveness will be underestimated (Hewitt et al., 2016).

Making Informed Decisions About Anti-Vibration Gloves

Despite the concerns surrounding the effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves, their use still offers hand protection from abrasions, cuts, burns, and chemical and biological exposures. These gloves also help keep hands warm and dry, contributing to HAVS prevention (Hewitt et al., 2014). Given the limitations of ISO 10819, there is a need to re-evaluate glove assessment methodologies and certification requirements. Current standards for anti-vibration glove certification may provide employers and workers with a false sense of safety. It is crucial to consider glove usage on a case-by-case basis, factoring in specific work conditions, tool types, and individual needs, to ensure the best possible protection against HAVS.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1093/annweh/wxw018, Alternate LINK

Title: Examining The Usefulness Of Iso 10819 Anti-Vibration Glove Certification

Subject: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Journal: Annals of Work Exposures and Health

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Authors: Diandra Budd, Ron House

Published: 2017-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What role do anti-vibration gloves play in protecting workers from vibration exposure, and what standard are they expected to meet?

Anti-vibration gloves are frequently utilized as personal protective equipment (PPE) to lower vibration transmission from power tools to a worker's hands when higher priority controls aren't feasible. These gloves are expected to meet specific vibration transmissibility criteria outlined in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 10819 (2013). They also provide hand protection from abrasions, cuts, burns, and chemical and biological exposures and help keep hands warm and dry, further aiding in HAVS prevention. Although anti-vibration gloves reduce vibration in the high frequencies (especially in the z-axis), the current ISO frequency weighting reduces the influence of high frequency vibration exposures (>160 Hz) to less than 10% of their actual value, increasing the likelihood that glove effectiveness will be underestimated (Hewitt et al., 2016).

How does ISO 10819 assess anti-vibration glove performance, and what are the key limitations of this methodology?

ISO 10819 evaluates glove performance by measuring vibration solely on the palm in the z-axis (direction of the forearm). This assumes that if a glove performs well on the palm, it will also provide adequate protection to the fingers. The frequency weighting used in the ISO standard is based on comfort rather than actual vascular, neurological, or musculoskeletal damage. This single weighting scheme may not adequately assess the various effects, as these can vary in frequency specificity.

Why does measuring vibration transmissibility only on the palm, as done in ISO 10819, potentially overestimate the effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves?

The ISO 10819 standard primarily assesses vibration transmissibility on the palm in the z-axis, potentially overestimating a glove's protective capabilities because it neglects vibration transmission to the fingers, where the primary health effects of hand-transmitted vibration occur. Studies like Rezali and Griffin (2015) have shown that vibration transmissibility can differ significantly between the palm and fingers, highlighting positional differences in glove performance. Hewitt et al. (2014) suggest that relying solely on palmar measurements can lead to an inaccurate assessment of a glove's protective capabilities.

How reliable is ISO 10819 certification in ensuring that anti-vibration gloves effectively protect against Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)?

While ISO 10819 is the recognized standard for anti-vibration glove certification, its reliance on palmar measurements and frequency weighting based on comfort rather than specific physiological damage raises concerns about its effectiveness in preventing Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Compliance with ISO 10819 does not guarantee actual protection against HAVS, which can manifest as neurological, vascular, and musculoskeletal problems affecting the hands, fingers, elbows, and shoulders.

Given the limitations of current anti-vibration glove standards, what factors should employers and workers consider when selecting and using these gloves to ensure adequate protection?

To make informed decisions, one must consider glove usage on a case-by-case basis, factoring in specific work conditions, tool types, and individual needs to ensure the best possible protection against Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Evaluate the specific vibration characteristics of the tools used and the individual anthropometrics of the workers. Given the limitations of ISO 10819, re-evaluating glove assessment methodologies and certification requirements is essential.