Types of Cut Resistant Gloves

What I Need to Know Before Buying Cut Resistant Gloves

When thinking about the process of choosing a cut resistant glove for your business, it's pertinent to first understand the concept of cut resistance. Cut resistance is a function of a glove's material makeup and its thickness. Therefore, the heavier weight a glove's material is (oz. / square yard), the greater the protection.

If this is true, then it should be simple to protect your employees-go with the heaviest material glove the market has to offer, right? The major issue with cut resistant gloves revolves around your employees. Do your gloves offer comfort and mobility? If not, more times than not, your employees won't even wear them, despite the safety hazards. The major goal is to protect workers without causing an obtuse level of discomfort and mobility restriction. To tackle this, you need to understand the various cut resistant materials that exist.

Levels of Cut Resistant Gloves

There are a variety of fibers and fabrics used and intertwined to meet the requirements of different levels of cut resistant gloves. Every working environment has different protection needs, influencing your decision on the best glove for your business. Restaurants may need lower levels as they're slicing and dicing vegetables, while butchers may need higher levels as they're sawing through thick meats. The glove you choose for your business is the single barrier preventing the possibility of serious injury.

The cut resistance of a material is determined by four factors: strength, hardness, lubricity, and rolling action. A yarn that possesses more of these four characteristics will typically have a higher cut resistance than a glove that utilizes only one factor. To test a glove's cut resistant level, manufacturers usually abide by the standards of a testing agency known as American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI provides a material's cut resistance in grams of weight applied to the tested material. An ANSI level is determined by how much weight is needed to cut through a given material with 25 mm of blade travel. In 2016, ANSI updated the way they label cut resistance levels in order to encompass gloves with very high levels of cut resistance. As it takes time and retesting to get gloves from 2015 and earlier up to date with the new standard, the old levels are still commonly seen. New levels range from A1 to A9, while old levels range from 0 to 5, with either A9 or 5 providing the highest level of cut resistance. Below you will find a table of ANSI levels to assist you while shopping for the best cut resistant glove.

• A1: Greater than 200
• A2: Greater than 500
• A3: Greater than 1000
• A4: Greater than 1500
• A5: Greater than 2200
• A6: Greater than 3000
• A7: Greater than 4000
• A8: Greater than 5000
• A9: Greater than 6000

Old Standards for Cut Resistant Gloves

• 1: Greater than 200
• 2: Greater than 500
• 3: Greater than 1000
• 4: Greater than 1500
• 5: Greater than 3500

Choosing the Best Cut Resistant Gloves

It all begins with research!

1. Evaluate your environment.
   • Are injuries occurring frequently?
   • Where / when do these injuries occur? At prep stations? During kitchen rush hours?
   • How do they occur? With basic cutlery? Larger knives? Machines?
   • What's the cut resistance level of you current gloves, and are they actually being worn? If not, is it due to discomfort or lack of flexibility and mobility?
   
   
2. Identify solutions.
   • Will a more comfortable glove encourage my employees to actually wear provided gloves?
   • Do I need a higher level of cut resistance due to the kitchen tasks we are performing?
   • Do I need a glove that offers heat resistance or moisture resistance in addition to cut resistance?

Depending on your needs, the best choice is to determine a glove you believe will best suit your business's environment and test it out! With our extensive range of cut resistant gloves available in different sizes, colors and styles, you'll be sure to find the glove that will make the cut!