5 Questions About Cut Resistant Gloves That Can Protect Your Employees' Hands

Depending on the work that is being done, one area that is especially important is a glove's level of cut resistance, because it can make the difference between whether a workplace injury is minor or severe.

Cut Resistant Gloves

The standard for cut resistance have been set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This helps ensure that a glove's cut resistance rating is consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer, regardless of cost, style, materials, and design.

This is good news for glove users because the new standards better equip safety managers to find the appropriate protection for the job.

To help you make the best choices when selecting gloves for cut resistance, we have answered 4 of the most frequent questions about cut resistance.

1. WHAT IS A CUT SCORE?
A cut resistance score is measured by how many grams of pressure can be applied by a razor blade moving in a straight path across a swatch of glove fabric before being cut. The “gram score” tells you how many grams of pressure the glove withstood before cutting through 0.8” (20 mm) or more. It is the average of multiple runs, using a new blade on each pass, and this “gram score” determines the Cut Score.

2. WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT CUT SCORES?
In the past, the ANSI rated gloves on a scale from 1 – 5. However, in February 2016, the ISEA released a new ANSI 105 hand protection standard in response to changes made that are being made to reflect innovation and advances in material technologies. The new standard includes updates to the classification levels for cut resistance (Cut Score) with a scale of 1 – 9. It also updates the method of testing gloves for cut resistance.

3. WHAT ARE THE CURRENT TESTING STANDARDS?
The current standard standardizes testing by only using a Tomodynamometer Test Machine (TDM) by measuring the weight in grams for a blade to cut material.

The current standard improves the accuracy in test results by designating a uniform test method using a single testing machine. All tests now require using the ASTM F2992-15 method on the TDM-100 machine.

4. HOW ARE CUT SCORES CLASSIFIED?
The classification for cut resistance equips you to find the appropriate protection for the job, because it offers testing that precisely defines levels of cut resistance with narrowly gradated levels while providing for expanded upper limits on cut resistance.

ANSI Cut Protection

ANSI A1

Light cut hazards
200-499 Grams to Cut

Material handling, small parts assembly with sharp edges, packaging, warehouse, general purpose, forestry, construction.

ANSI A2-A3

Light/medium cut hazards
500-1,499 Grams to Cut

Material handling, small parts assembly with sharp edges, packaging, warehouse, general purpose, forestry, construction, pulp and paper, automotive assembly.

ANSI A4-A5

Medium/Heavy cut hazards
1,500 – 2,999 Grams to Cut

Appliance manufacturing, bottle and light glass handling, canning, drywalling, electrical carpet installation, HVAC, pulp and paper, automotive assembly, metal fabrication, metal handling, packaging, warehouse, aerospace industry, food prep/processing.

ANSI A6-A9

High cut hazards
3,000 - 6000+ Grams to Cut

Metal stamping, metal recycling, pulp, and paper (changing slitter blades), automotive assembly, metal fabrication, sharp metal stampings, glass manufacturing, window manufacturing, recycling plant/sorting, food prep/processing, meat processing, aerospace industry.

5. HOW DO I GAUGE WHICH CUT RESISTANCE GLOVES I NEED?
The gloves you purchase for your employees will depend on a number of factors. It is important to understand the potential cut risks and balance the need for cut resistance with comfort and flexibility. While cost and even style can all factor into your decision-making process, if you are unsure how to determine what gloves are the best for your employees' needs, talking to your safety equipment provider is a great way to start.

Arbill's team of safety experts can provide Environmental Health and Safety training and services and make recommendations to help you find the right glove at the right cost to keep your employees safe.

Have a Safe Day!