Levels are a useful method to classify the hardness of the fabric and its capacity to continue contact with chemicals, blades, or heat when it relates to cut-resistant gloves. OHS specialists are observing for hand safety gloves that provide adequate defense while also allowing for fine motor control. Finding the proper glove for each application is a delicate balancing act.
What Are the Different Levels of Cut-Resistant Gloves?
Numerous organizations have created quality values for glove safety in order to provide a common vocabulary. The European Commission, typically abbreviated as CE (Conformité Européene), is the major regulatory organization in Europe.
In North America, the American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, serves a similar purpose. ANSI is a corporate, non-profit organization that signifies technical and government organizations. It was created in 1918. Though the ANSI and CE standards are comparable, this article attention to the ANSI standard.
The Occupational Care and Health Administration in the United States demands hand defense but it does not prescribe exact cut battle limits, leaving it up to safety managers to decide.
Glove safety limits were first defined by ANSI in 1999, and have since been amended in 2005, 2011, and 2016. These updates reflect improvements in the production of safeguarding materials as well as variations to the grading system that aids OHS professionals in locating suitable safety clothing.
What’s New in the ANSI Cut-Resistant Glove Levels for 2016?
ANSI used to grade cut resilient gloves into 5 different cutting battle ratings. In 2016, the scale was updated to allow for more distinctions. Prior to 2016, ANSI cut levels enabled testing on two separate machines: the TDM-100 and the CPPT.
The new normal eliminates this probable cause of misunderstanding by requiring cut resistance levels to be measured using the TDM-100 machine, which regulates how much load (in grams) a glove can take before being pierced by a new blade.
The studied ANSI scale is as such, with an ‘A’ at the front of the mark numbers:
|
A1 |
Protective gloves, Level 1 |
resists 200 g to 499 g of cutting force |
|
A2 |
Protective gloves, Level 2 |
resists 500 g to 999 g of cutting force |
|
A3 |
Protective gloves, Level 3 |
resists 1000 g to 1499 g of cutting force |
|
A4 |
Protective gloves, Level 4 |
resists 1500 g to 2199 g of cutting force |
|
A5 |
Protective gloves, Level 5 |
resists 2200 g to 2999 g of cutting force |
|
A6 |
Protective gloves, Level 6 |
resists 3000 g to 3999 g of cutting force |
|
A7 |
Protective gloves, Level 7 |
resists 4000 g to 4999 g of cutting force |
|
A8 |
Protective gloves, Level 8 |
resists 5000 g to 5999 g of cutting force |
|
A9 |
Protective gloves, Level 9 |
resists 6000 g or more of cutting force |
Making Informed Decisions About Hand Safety
We don’t give particular cut-level suggestions, but our testing shows that tasks that require A5 gloves while using metal knives may well be contenders for A2, A3, or A4 gloves when employing ceramic safety knives. Before changing their existing glove policy, we urge that firms conduct their own field trials.
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