Which piece of safety gear should not be worn when operating a machine?

• A. Safety glasses
• B. Gloves
• C. Dust mask
• D. Hearing protectors

Answer: (B)

Gloves should not be worn around machines because moving parts can grab them and pull your hand into the equipment, causing serious injury. Even snug gloves can catch on a rotating spindle, drill bit, or cutter, so your fingers can be dragged toward the mechanism before you can react. The safer approach is to remove gloves before starting the machine and use proper workholding tools or push sticks to keep your hands away from the cutting area. Safety glasses protect your eyes from chips, a dust mask keeps dust from your lungs, and hearing protectors guard your hearing; these protections are essential and do not create the same entanglement risk. If you need to handle material, do so before operating the machine or with the machine completely powered off, then remove any gloves before you begin.