Bricklaying gloves: grip, durability and fit

October 1, 2026

Bricklaying gloves should be selected differently for dry brick or block handling and for work that can put wet mortar or cement on the hand. For dry handling, assess control, fit, coverage, condition and the exact glove's documented mechanical evidence. For wet mortar or cement, require separate evidence that the glove is suitable for that chemical exposure, then check the current SDS and site procedure.

That distinction is easy to lose under the label “brickies gloves”. A brick may be dry, dusty, chipped or sharp-edged; mortar work adds a different skin-contact risk. One palm coating, a familiar trade style or a mechanical marking cannot answer every part of that decision.

The useful buying question is narrower: what touches the hand during this part of the job, and what can the selected glove actually document? Starting there gives grip, durability and fit a practical role instead of treating them as catalogue adjectives.

Start with what is actually on the hand

The job title is not the specification. Break a bricklaying shift into the hand contacts that matter: carrying dry bricks or blocks, positioning them, handling chipped material, mixing or spreading mortar, cleaning tools, and any work near plant or other hazards. The answer may change during the day.

For dry brick and block handling, record the surface condition, edge condition, hand position and the need to place and release material. A documented mechanical marking can be relevant where the assessment identifies mechanical exposure, but it needs to match the actual risk and protected area. It is not evidence for chemical resistance, waterproofness, heat, electrical work or machinery safety.4

For wet cement or mortar, do not assume a palm-coated mechanical glove is enough because its palm is nitrile or because it is sold for construction. Cement-based products can cause dermatitis and burns. The UK HSE's technical guidance says gloves for wet cement should be waterproof, suitable for high-pH substances, and supported by breakthrough-time and permeation information appropriate to the work. It also notes that cuff design should avoid trapping cement against the skin.3 That is health-and-safety guidance, not Australian legal advice; check the current SDS, the exact manufacturer's compatibility information and the procedure that applies on site.

Gloves are only one part of the control plan. Safe Work Australia says PPE helps reduce risk but should not be the only way WHS risks are addressed. The same guidance says PPE should be suitable and reasonably comfortable for the worker and task, and should continue to be assessed for effectiveness.1

Grip is more than the palm pattern

A palm coating can be a useful feature, but a grip claim is a starting point for assessment, not a promise that a glove will hold every brick in dust, rain, oil or mortar. The load, surface condition, glove fit and condition work together.

Check the normal material and the normal movement

With the task's ordinary controls kept in place, the wearer should be able to pick up, position and release the usual brick or block without excess hand force, finger bunching or a change to the authorised method. This is a usability check, not a substitute for laboratory testing and not a reason to stage a slip, sharp-edge or cement-contact test.

For example, a candidate that feels secure while carrying a dry block may not be the right choice for a later task involving wet mortar. That is not a failure of the dry-handling check. It is a signal that the task has changed and the glove evidence needs to change with it.

Treat lost control as a selection problem

Inspect the grip area before use. A palm that is worn smooth, cracked, contaminated, worn through or detached from the liner may no longer provide the control expected from a new glove. Check seams and fingertip areas as well; a grip surface cannot make up for a poor fit or a damaged glove.

WorkSafe WA advises workers to inspect gloves before and after use and to discard gloves with obvious weaknesses or faults. Its glove guidance also identifies wear between fingers, seam failure, cracking, bubbling or pinholes, and swelling or shrinking as signs of failure around hazardous substances.2 These are prompts, not a complete list. Follow the exact glove's instructions and retire it whenever damage, contamination or lost control makes it unsuitable for the recorded task.

Durability is an inspection decision, not a calendar promise

Inspect the palm, fingertips, forefinger and thumb web, along with seams and the cuff. The contact area can change with the brick profile, work method, fit and whether the task includes mortar, clean-up or handling other materials, so these are inspection prompts rather than a universal failure map.

Compare construction details and care instructions alongside the documented protection. Reinforced wear areas may be relevant to the task, but they do not guarantee a service life. A glove can be mechanically marked and still need replacement because its coating, seam, fit or cleanliness has changed.

Avoid a blanket replacement interval for a crew. WorkSafe WA recommends considering the material, manual dexterity, fit, available sizes, maintenance and how often gloves need replacement before buying, and says employees should be able to try samples.2 Use the exact glove's instructions and the recorded task conditions when deciding whether a pair remains suitable.

Care is part of the decision. Dirt or contamination can affect both contact and handling. Use the supplier's cleaning and storage directions for the exact model rather than applying one glove's washing method to another. If the job involves wet cement or another hazardous substance, contaminated gloves need separate handling under the relevant procedure.

Fit is the practical test for control

Fit is not a comfort extra. Loose fingertips can make it harder to place a brick accurately; excess material in the palm can fold under the load; a restricted thumb can change how the hand approaches the material. A cuff that clashes with sleeves or other PPE can create another issue.

Try the actual model in the size being considered. Before approving it for ordinary authorised work, check that:

fingers reach the ends without tightness, empty length or folding;
the palm lies flat rather than bunching under a normal grip;
the thumb can move through the movements needed to hold, place and release the material;
the cuff sits correctly with sleeves and other required PPE; and
the wearer can use normal controls without changing the safe work method.

This sample-fit approach follows WorkSafe WA's advice to consider fit, size range, manual dexterity and compatibility with the work and other PPE.2 It does not establish that one size will suit every person. Keep a usable size range in the purchase decision, and reassess if the glove model, task or other PPE changes.

Correct fit does not make every task suitable for gloves. WorkSafe WA cautions that some gloves may be unsafe around machinery and that fit matters in reducing entanglement risk with moving parts.2 Follow the applicable plant and site procedure before assuming a glove can be worn near moving equipment.

The wet mortar branch needs separate evidence

Wet mortar deserves a clear stop in the selection process. A mechanical result, a construction label and a nitrile palm do not document compatibility with alkaline cement. Nor do they establish that the whole glove, including its back, seams and cuff, is waterproof.

Start with the material and task: identify whether wet cement or mortar can contact the hand, how often, for how long and where it could enter the glove. Then review the current SDS and require manufacturer documentation for that substance and use pattern. The relevant information can include chemical suitability, breakthrough time, permeation rate, coverage, cuff arrangement, limitations and care. If that evidence is absent or does not fit the task, select a purpose-supported alternative or change the method to reduce contact.

The HSE guidance is specific about the reason for this care: wet cement is highly alkaline, and cement trapped against the skin can cause serious harm.3 Keep this branch separate from the dry-handling choice. It prevents a useful mechanical glove from being stretched into an unsupported chemical claim.

What the SiteGrips Work Site Gloves document, and what they do not

SiteGrips Work Site Gloves are documented with a 13-gauge HPPE liner, a sandy nitrile palm, reinforced thumb-web and forefinger wear areas, and sizes M, L, XL and XXL. The product page lists EN 388 4X43F, ANSI/ISEA A5, CE Category II and AS/NZS 2161.3:2020. It also gives cold hand-wash and lay-flat drying instructions.5

These are useful facts when the recorded bricklaying task has a mechanical exposure that matches the glove's documented profile, coverage and fit. The 4X43F code is a set of mechanical results, not a broad approval for every site exposure. For a fuller explanation of those boundaries, see what AS/NZS 2161.3 covers and why cut-resistant gloves are not cut-proof.

SiteGrips publishes a 40–45-hour brick/blockwork working-life estimate for this model. The product page says the estimate is based on construction and reinforcement rather than laboratory testing, and that actual life varies with task, conditions and handling.5 Treat it as the supplier's qualified estimate, not a guarantee, independent test result or replacement schedule.

The current product information does not document wet-cement chemical compatibility, waterproofness, thermal protection, electrical insulation, impact protection or suitability around machinery. If any of those governs the task, do not extend these mechanical specifications to cover it.

Make the order answer the next task

The most useful bricklaying-glove purchase is one that can explain its limits. Before ordering, settle three points: what can contact the hand in this task; what evidence covers that contact for this exact glove; and can the wearer control the brick or block in the correct size?

For dry brick or block handling, a model may be a sound candidate when its documented mechanical profile, coverage, condition and fit suit the task. Review the Work Site Gloves specifications where that documented profile matches the assessed job. For wet mortar or cement contact, start again with the SDS and directly relevant chemical and waterproof evidence.

That is a more durable buying rule than a trade label: choose the glove for the material, exposure and movement in front of the worker, then replace it when its condition no longer supports that decision.

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