# Damping Rates of Anti-Vibration Gloves Made of Different Materials
## 4 Conclusions and Recommendations
1 has the features that provide the most effective vibration protection. The vibration attenuation rates of the gloves, as measured under controlled laboratory conditions, were found to be higher than those recorded in field environments. This discrepancy is likely attributable to variations in vibration spectra, the standardized and repeatable contact conditions in laboratory settings, and the inconsistent grip forces and hand postures typically encountered during field operations. Specifically, glove No. 1 was coated with chloroprene rubber, whereas glove No. 12 was coated with latex foam. Glove Nos. 3 and 4 also utilized latex foam, but the differences in thickness, surface area, or density may have been more favorable for vibration damping, compared with glove No. 12. Likewise, Glove No. 2 contained a coating of chloroprene rubber, but glove No. 1 showed slightly higher performance, although the difference was not significant (Table 10). One-way ANOVA was performed to determine the differences among the average vibration damping ratios obtained for the 12 different gloves. The gloves were correlated with the differences in vibration damping ratios. Post hoc analysis (multiple comparisons) was performed to determine which vibration damping ratios were significantly different among the 12 gloves. There were significant differences between the vibration damping ratio of glove No. 1 and the vibration damping ratios of gloves Nos. 9, 10, 11, and 12; between the vibration damping ratio of glove No. 2 and the vibration damping ratios of gloves Nos. 11 and 12; between the vibration damping ratio of glove No. 9 and the vibration damping ratios of gloves Nos. 1, 11, and 12; between the vibration damping ratio of glove No. 10 and the vibration damping ratios of glove Nos. 1, 11, and 12; between the vibration damping ratio of glove No. 11 and the vibration damping ratios of glove Nos. 1, 2, and 10; and between the vibration damping ratio of glove No. 12 and the vibration damping ratios of glove Nos. 1, 2, 9, and 10. Notably, for all gloves and mines studied herein, the hand-arm vibration that the jackhammer operators were exposed to was above the limit value specified in the regulation guidelines (5 m/s2). These findings underscore the need for vibration-absorbing systems. Ultimately, it is necessary to further reduce the vibration of the machines through modification and regular maintenance, including the improvement of personal protective equipment, such as gloves. Operators should at least use gloves with the most effective damping properties. Gloves must be designed using materials with more effective damping properties and optimized features, such as the padding thickness and surface area. Detailed studies can also be conducted by correlating the hand-arm vibration exposure values of jackhammer operators working in different mining operations with other parameters of the machines, such as the operating frequency, power, and angle. Within the scope of combating vibration, the working and rest periods of operators should be determined according to the exposure limit values, and the vibration exposure and health status of employees should be checked at regular intervals. Employers must provide training to their employees, especially machine operators, to protect themselves from risks caused by vibration and to ensure that they comply with the vibration regulations. In this context, employers must conduct a risk assessment and frequently inspect their employees regarding the proper use of personal protective equipment. This study was supported by Cukurova University (Project No. : FBA-2022-15044). **Institutional Review Board Statement:** Ethical review and approval were waived for this study because it is a preliminary study conducted with a very limited number of workers based on their voluntary participation.