U.S. regulatory pressure around hazardous waste disposal has changed the way many oil and gas companies evaluate their PPE – especially leather gloves containing chromium.  

For an oil refinery in the Pacific Northwest, newly enforced Washington State waste rules and a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action against another operator made the impact clear: their current chrome-tanned leather gloves now required costly hazardous-waste disposal, added compliance risk, and increased operational oversight. It was the right moment to explore a safer, more sustainable option. That search led them to HexArmor’s chromium-reduced glove technology. 

The challenge: Leather gloves that came with hidden hazards and rising costs 

For years, traditional chrome-tanned leather gloves were standard across this oil refinery operation in Washington. But recent regulatory changes quickly revealed a problem: The way those same gloves were disposed of; they could now be classified as hazardous waste. 

Although chrome-tanned leather is tanned using non-toxic Chromium III, certain disposal conditions can cause it to oxidize into harmful Chromium VI. When this occurs, the used gloves may be classified as hazardous waste, triggering the need for strict documentation, storage, tracking, and transport by the company generating the waste, along with significantly higher disposal fees. For more information on what it means for a glove to contain chromium, read our Truth in Safety article here.  

The urgency increased after an oil and gas company in the North Slope of Alaska was fined by the U.S. EPA for improper disposal of “chromium-tainted leather gloves.” Industry-wide, operators began reassessing their PPE programs to avoid similar violations, including this Pacific Northwest oil refinery. 

Before switching to HexArmor®, the oil refinery's leather glove program contained gloves that fell within the requirements of needing to be disposed of as hazardous waste. The company was spending:  

• $1,000 per barrel of used leather gloves (and going through 1-2 barrels per month) 
• A minimum of $12,000 annually tied directly to glove disposal and EPA program management requirements 

Beyond the direct disposal fees, the refinery’s Environmental, Health, Safety, (EHS) and operations teams were spending significant time documenting, tracking, storing, and managing hazardous-waste barrels – a workload that grew heavier as regulations tightened. 

It became clear that the cost and the regulatory risks would continue to increase. While other chrome-tanned leather gloves performed well in the field, they carried a high operational and environmental burden that the company could no longer ignore. 

The solution: 99.9% chromium reduction with the Chrome SLT® 4059IMP 

To eliminate chromium waste, the oil refinery trialed the Chrome SLT® 4059IMP, a leather impact glove engineered with HexArmor’s chromium-reduced wet white tanning process. This sustainable construction removes the hazardous waste classification associated with chrome-tanned leather, without sacrificing performance or protection. 

Key benefits include: 

• Chromium-reduced goatskin leather that supports EPA-friendly disposal 
• Low-profile Level 2 impact protection for high-hazard tasks 
• 360-degree Level A5 cut protection with an interior aramid liner 
• High-dexterity, form-fitting design for precise handling 
• SlipFit® cuff for quick on/off between tasks 

During the trial, crews reported improved dexterity, better overall feel, and a seamless transition from their previous leather gloves – all with the added benefit of removing hazardous waste disposal costs entirely. 

The results: Savings over $1,000 per month 

The success of the trial led the oil refinery to consolidate all leather gloves across its operation to the 4059IMP.  

The impact was immediate:  

• $0 in hazardous-waste disposal costs 
• More than $1,000/month saved 
• Eliminated the 1–2 monthly waste barrels 
• Removed the need for staffing and documentation for chromium-contaminated PPE, returning significant labor hours back to operations 
• Zero risk of EPA fines tied to glove disposal 

Had they remained with traditional leather gloves, the oil refinery would have continued spending at least $12,000 per year, not including future regulatory risk or potential fines. 

Switching to HexArmor’s chromium-reduced glove wasn’t just a cost-saving move; it positioned the oil refinery ahead of emerging industry standards and eliminated a hazardous waste stream altogether, proving that what’s good for business can also be good for the planet. 

See the Chrome SLT® 4059IMP