What is the purpose of wearing gloves when collecting wipe samples?

Wearing gloves during the collection of wipe samples is essential to prevent contamination of the samples. When conducting lead assessments, maintaining the integrity of the samples is critical, as any foreign substances on the wipes can skew the results. Gloves act as a barrier between the skin and the environment, ensuring that the sample collected solely reflects the lead presence in the environment and not any potential contaminants introduced by the inspector's hands.

While considerations such as temperature regulation, grip improvement, and skin protection are important in various scenarios, they are not the primary reasons gloves are worn in this context. The primary focus in lead risk assessment is to ensure the accuracy of the samples, which is accomplished through the careful handling and collection practices that gloves facilitate.