Glove Performance Dermal Absorption of Fentanyl

With the increase in opioid sales on the illicit drug market and overdoses, opioid incidents and exposure risk are concerns for first responders, including law enforcement officers. To prevent dermal, mucosal, or inhalation exposure to opioids and other hazardous drugs, first responders rely on personal protective equipment (PPE) – including respirators and gloves – as their last line of defense within the hierarchy of controls. NIOSH, in response to requests from first responders concerning appropriate glove selection (e.g., glove material, thickness), recommended for minimal and moderate anticipated opioid exposures powder-free nitrile gloves with a minimum thickness of 5 ± 2 mil (i.e., 0.13 ± 0.05 millimeters [mm]). Some glove manufacturers have recently marketed their gloves claiming fentanyl protection. There is limited empirical PPE performance data for opioids, and no industry standard or test method currently exists for evaluating PPE performance against opioids. The purpose of this study was to provide this empirical data under conditions representative of those encountered in the field to support (1) NIOSH’s current opioid PPE recommendations and (2) industry standards and test methods.