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Types of Gloves for Hand Safety

Last updated on May 13, 2024
Hand injuries are the second most frequent injury in the restaurant industry after slips, trips, and falls. OSHA estimates that hand injuries cost the foodservice industry around $300 million a year in workers' compensation and lost work time! Think about the cost of medical care, food waste from contamination, prep work that's interrupted when others stop to help, and the overall distraction to other employees and guests. Such injuries can be limited by equipping your workers with the proper gloves and educating them so that they get used, instead of the closest towel. Our gloves are broken down into three categories: oven mitts and gloves, dishwashing and heavy duty gloves, and cut resistant gloves.

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Oven Mitts and Gloves

The primary function of oven mitts and gloves is to protect hands from some of the extreme heat encountered in a commercial kitchen when reaching into a hot oven, carrying scalding hot sheet pans directly removed from that oven, or even dropping a freshly cut potato into a fryer tank of bubbling oil. For added versatility, some of these are flame retardant to provide added safety when dealing with open flames in an oven, grill, or barbecue pit. Others are designed to offer steam protection when working with steamers and combis, while some even offer basic cold protection so you can comfortably transport pans from freezer to oven and then remove them for exceptional versatility.

Featuring SafeMitt and Choice mitts, this oven mitt guide breaks down key features and considerations to help you choose the perfect mitt for your application.

Purchasing Considerations

Style: Oven mitts and gloves are available in 3 styles.

Conventional Mitts
Puppet Mitts Gloves
Choice 17 inch Flame-Retardant Oven Mitts - Pair

The thumb is separate to the side, like mittens worn in winter, providing excellent flexibility in motion for easy handling of various products.

San Jamar 810PM15 15 inch Best Grip Oven Mitt - Puppet Style

Shaped like a puppet, with the thumb located under the fingers for a firm grip of heavier items.

San Jamar T1217 Rotissi-Glove 17 inch Neoprene Gloves - Elbow Length

Completely separated fingers for the most flexible dexterity possible.


Tolerance: There isn't a glove on the market that will let you hold a hot pan that's fresh out of the oven forever, but different gloves will have different tolerances, so it's important to look into the individual specs of a glove to ensure it meets your needs. Mitts like our Choice silicone cloth oven mitts, for example, are capable of withstanding up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of seconds, offering solid performance at an incredible price. But if you need something more heavy-duty than that, there are options that can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 seconds.

Sizing: All of our oven mitts and gloves are one-size-fits-most, but many are available in different lengths for varying degrees of arm protection. As you get into longer options, they may become a bit clunkier to handle, but they will also help protect your forearms when reaching into deep ovens. Or, as an alternative to the longer mits, you might consider an oven sleeve for greater flexibility.

Other Considerations:

  • Fabric construction with neoprene or rubber added for an improved grip?
  • Loop or embedded magnet for easy hanging?
  • Machine washable or dishwasher safe for easy cleaning?
  • CE or NSF Listed for added safety assurance?
  • Color-coded to help prevent cross contamination?
  • Sold individually or in pairs?
  • Ambidextrous? (This will apply to most of our mitts / gloves that are sold individually)
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Cut Resistant Gloves

Cut resistant gloves are gloves that, as their name oh-so-intuitively implies, are resistant to cuts. An excellent solution when dealing with sharp objects in any application from cutting fruit to rigorous butcher work, some of these gloves even offer protection against high heat and puncturing.

Purchasing Considerations

Tolerance: Cut resistant gloves are designed with a unique tolerance to give you the perfect level of protection for your specific application, so the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has developed a rating system that makes it simple to contextualize these differences. In order to understand the ANSI performance levels, you must know that cut resistance is determined by how much weight (in grams) is needed to cut through a given material with 20mm of blade travel. Put simply: The greater the level, the higher the resistance.

Performance Level
Weight Needed to Cut Through Material at 20mm of Blade Travel
0 Less than 200 grams
A1 200 - 499 grams
A2 500 - 999 grams
A3 1,000 - 1,499 grams
A4 1,500 - 2,199 grams
A5 2,200 - 2,999 grams
A6 3,000 - 3,999 grams
A7 4,000 - 4,999 grams
A8 5,000 - 5,999 grams
A9 Greater than 6,000 grams

Material: We offer cut resistant gloves in four primary materials, each with their own benefits.

Material Performance Level Benefits
Cut Resistant Glove - Large
A1 - A7
  • Generally lightweight for excellent dexterity and mobility
  • Great for light kitchen prep like cutting fruits and veggies
Cut Resistant Glove with Kevlar® - Medium - 12 Pairs / Case
A3
  • Perform well in high heat and flame environments
  • Great for heavier kitchen prep like cutting meats and cheeses
Victorinox 86300.P PerformanceFIT Pink Cut Resistant Glove - One Size Fits Most
A4 - A7
  • Ultra high protection and even some chemical resistance
  • Great for intense kitchen prep like slicing and dicing
Victorinox 81503 saf-T-gard Red Cut Resistant Stainless Steel Mesh Glove - Medium
A5 +
  • Interlocking metal construction provides puncture resistance in addition to cut resistance
  • Great for butcher shops

Other Considerations:

  • Size? (Available in everything from one-size-fits-most to extra small - extra large)
  • Fabric mitts with rubber added for an improved grip?
  • Machine washable or dishwasher safe for easy cleaning?
  • Color-coded to help prevent cross contamination?
  • Sold individually or in pairs?
  • Ambidextrous? (This will apply to most of our gloves that are sold individually)

For more in-depth information, be sure to check out our cut-resistant gloves guide!

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Dishwashing and Heavy Duty Gloves

The main function of dishwashing and heavy duty gloves is to protect hands from the moisture, heat, and chemicals present not only in warewashing applications, but other housekeeping, cleaning, and maintenance tasks as well. Whether you need protection against the water and harsh chemicals, hot dishes and flatware coming directly out of the dishmachine, or even lengthy exposure to cold temperatures during walk-in restocking, these impressive gloves offer a little something for everyone!

Purchasing Considerations

Application: Perhaps even more so than any of the previous categories, this smorgasbord of gloves makes considering the glove's function and your application absolutely critical. They will all offer some degree of chemical protection, but is it the protection you need? Our affordable neoprene and latex, for example, are impermeable to gases, vapor, and moisture, making them an excellent choice for light dishwashing or cleaning with gentle detergents and cleaners. Be sure to read the product descriptions to be sure you're getting exactly what you need!

Other Considerations:

  • Size? (Available in everything from small to extra extra large)
  • Embossed for an improved grip?
  • Flock lining for improved heat protection and added comfort?
  • Machine washable for easy cleaning?
  • Sold individually or in pairs?
  • Ambidextrous? (This will apply to most of our gloves that are sold individually)
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.

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Types of Cut Resistant Gloves

Do your business's cut resistant gloves make the cut? Hand cuts and wounds are preventable accidents in the workplace, yet they account for a hefty percentage of injuries and lost employee time in the United States. Protecting employees' hands in the foodservice industry should be a high priority, but choosing the right cut resistant glove for your work environment isn't the easiest task. Slices, cuts, abrasions and punctures are all common workplace injuries, especially in the foodservice industry. But did you know these types of accidents account for almost 30% of lost time and productivity, and almost 80% of these injuries involve workers' hands? It's important to protect yourself and your employees with cut resistant gloves in order to

Restaurant Safety Tips

From handling sharp knives and hot equipment to navigating busy kitchens and dining areas, restaurant employees face a variety of hazards daily. Due to this, understanding and following safety guidelines is essential to creating a secure work environment and promoting a culture of safety among your restaurant staff. Not only do safety incidents threaten the wellbeing of your staff and customers, they also lead to lost productivity and increased costs for businesses. By implementing proper safety protocols and training, restaurants can prevent accidents and promote a culture of safety for all involved. Shop All Safety and Security Products Use these links to learn more about how to keep your restaurant and commercial kitchen a safe environme

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