The gloves are on: Timmins inventor aims to make hand injuries obsolete
Newly developed gloves aim to prevent hand injuries from cuts, pinches, and falling rock
After seeing too many incidents in the area's underground mines, Timmins inventor Anthony Gilin decided he wanted to make a change.
Gilin, who is also an underground worker, developed a protective glove for use in the mining, industrial, and construction fields. On his website, Gilin estimates that a single hand injury can cost an operation $30,000.
The glove has taken Gilin about three years to develop, and is currently in the testing stages in small groups at Sudbury's Northern Centre for Advanced Technology, also known as NORCAT.
"[The glove] gives you the tight feeling, so there's more dexterity with small parts," Gilin said. "It's cut-resistant throughout the whole glove."
"It also has TPR [thermoplastic rubber] , which protects from impact and protects your hand from being crushed," Gilin said.
"TPR reduces the impact ... of rock falling on your hand, or being pinched."
Each small group of testers — five or six people, Gilin said — will use the gloves for about 30 days. The tests are expected to be completed by January 2018.
After the testing period, Gilin hopes to bring it to the mining companies for further use on the site.
Gilin say he expects each pair to retail between $35 and $45 and, depending on working conditions, will last from two weeks to a month.
Until then, Gilin said he's going to keep a close eye on the test results.
"I'm anxious not on the return on investment, but the outcome of the project," Gilin said. "The return on investment will come anyways, I just like to see each step grow."
