For some users, latex is bad news. More and more allergic reactions to the gloves are being reported, including inflammation of the hands, face and neck.
Some workers report breathing congestion, sneezing, wheezing and asthma-like symptoms.
In a few cases, latex allergies have caused life-threatening reactions and made it impossible for workers to continue to work in jobs that place them anywhere where latex is used. A new study by a Mayo Clinic task force has found that high rates of latex allergies in medical workplaces can be reduced at low cost by using powder-free rubber gloves with low allergen content. Mayo's Latex Allergy Task Force made changes at the clinic, including replacing standard latex gloves with powder-free gloves, setting up stations with samples of the alternative gloves, and presenting lectures on latex allergies to its workers. But that's not the end of the rubber glove story. High warehouse temperatures and the large quantity of gloves stored may have increased the risk of such fires.