title: Firefighter Hand Anthropometry and Structural Glove Sizing: A New Perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the current use and fit of structural firefighting gloves and developed an improved sizing scheme that better accommodates the U.S. firefighter population.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Among surveys, 24% to 30% of men and 31% to 62% of women reported experiencing problems with the fit or bulkiness of their structural firefighting gloves.
  
  
  METHODS
  An age-, race/ethnicity-, and gender-stratified sample of 863 male and 88 female firefighters across the United States participated in the study. Fourteen hand dimensions relevant to glove design were measured. A cluster analysis of the hand dimensions was performed to explore options for an improved sizing scheme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The current national standard structural firefighting glove-sizing scheme underrepresents firefighter hand size range and shape variation. In addition, mismatch between existing sizing specifications and hand characteristics, such as hand dimensions, user selection of glove size, and the existing glove sizing specifications, is significant. An improved glove-sizing plan based on clusters of overall hand size and hand/finger breadth-to-length contrast has been developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents the most up-to-date firefighter hand anthropometry and a new perspective on glove accommodation. The new seven-size system contains narrower variations (standard deviations) for almost all dimensions for each glove size than the current sizing practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed science-based sizing plan for structural firefighting gloves provides a step-forward perspective (i.e., including two women hand model-based sizes and two wide-palm sizes for men) for glove manufacturers to advance firefighter hand protection.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia hxh4@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: Total Contact Inc., Germantown, Ohio.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitestone
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Tsui-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kau
authors.affiliation: San Antonio Fire Department, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hildreth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017575:Gloves, Protective; D006225:Hand / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cluster; finger; fit; shape; sizing