Vanguard Safety Education Series
How to Choose the Most Appropriate Cut Resistant Gloves
Cut resistant gloves provide effective protection against many common work hazards while helping to improve efficiency and compliance. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 40% of all workplace hand injuries result in cuts or lacerations. While no glove is 100% cut-proof, choosing appropriate hand protection can help minimize risk.
Cut resistant gloves are classified according to their cut resistance levels and are rated through adherence to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This educational brief explores various types of cut resistant gloves, their attributes and the testing each type undergoes to become a VGuard glove.
Liner Materials
A glove liner is best defined as the material in direct contact with the hand. Based on the type of material used, the liner helps provide the wearer with key attributes including warmth, flexibility, longevity and dexterity. Often made of synthetic materials for added durability, the liner acts as the base for a variety of performance coatings.
High-Performance Polyethylene (HPPE)- Also known as Dyneema®
• Lightweight. Unmatched comfort, flexibility, and abrasion resistance.
• Ultra strong. HPPE is 15 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis.
• UV resistant. Can be bleached.
Aramid- Also known as Kevlar®
• A synthetic, thicker fiber which provides a high level of cut resistance.
• Durable. Aramid is 5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis and known for resistance to wear and tear.
• Naturally heat and flame resistant. An ideal choice for applications which require both cut and heat resistance.
• Not UV resistant. Cannot be bleached.
Stainless Steel & Fiberglass
• Cut resistant fibers enhance the glove’s cut protection.
• Comfort is typically maintained by the addition of material wrapped around either stainless steel or fiberglass base.
Nylon
• Ultra lightweight, durable, and abrasion resistant fiber.
• Superior comfort, flexibility, and breathability. Cooling on the hand.
• Excellent dexterity and sensitivity. Dries quickly.
Polyester
• Ultra lightweight, durable, and abrasion resistant fiber.
• Excellent dexterity and sensitivity. Dries quickly.
Liner Gauge
Gauge is defined as the number of stitches included in each inch of material. The lower the gauge, the heavier the glove. The higher the gauge, the lighter the glove.
Coating Materials
Glove coatings are often applied to glove liner surfaces to enhance the overall performance level of the glove and offer specific properties such as temperature insulation, enhanced grip and abrasion resistance.
NITRILE
- Provides high resistance to puncture, tearing, and abrasion.
- Good chemical resistance.
Flat Nitrile
-Tough coating provides super tacky dry grip.
-Excellent abrasion and puncture resistance.
Foam Nitrile
-Channels oil and liquids away from the hand for a better grip.
-Excellent abrasion, puncture, and snag resistance.
Micro-Foam Nitrile
-Ultra breathable.
-Super abrasion resistant coating provides good dry grip.
Sandy Foam Nitrile
-Suction cup-like texture provides a non-slip grip in heavy oils and liquids.
-Good abrasion, puncture, cut and snag resistance.
POLYURETHANE
• Lightweight, strong and durable coating provides high resistance to abrasion.
• Offers great flexibility.
• Good for dry grip, handling small parts, and effective in light oil conditions.
LATEX
• Highly elastic material with good puncture resistance.
• Best overall dry grip.
• Adding a finish texture such as foam or crinkle also helps enhance grip.
Cut Levels
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) standards for measuring cut resistance for industrial work gloves was last updated in November 2024. Measurements are based on a 9-level scale from A1-A9 seen below.
The level of cut resistance ranges from 0 to 6,000 grams based on tests completed by a Tomodynamometer (TDM) Method. In this method, a blade is dragged across the glove material taken from the palm. The higher the weight required to cut the material, the higher the cut resistance rating. A higher rating provides the user with better protection and performance.
Deciphering the Symbols Printed on the Gloves
- ANSI/ISEA 105 standards were updated in November 2024 to improve the clarity and uniformity of glove performance ranges and to help workers select the right protection for their application. While testing methods and levels of protection remain unchanged, the new standard introduces a pentagon shaped pictogram on products which displays cut, abrasion, and puncture resistance ratings.
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The number at the top of the pentagon indicates the product’s cut level. Cut resistance levels range from A1 to A9, with A9 offering the most cut resistance. It’s at the top so users can easily recognize the most critical aspect of hand protection at a glance.
- The number on the left side of the pentagon indicates the glove’s abrasion resistance. Abrasion resistance levels range from 0 to 6, with 6 providing the highest level of protection.
- The number on the right side of the pentagon indicates the glove’s puncture resistance. Puncture resistance levels range from 0 to 5, with 5 providing the highest level of protection. Puncture resistance measures a glove’s ability to withstand penetration by blunt objects like nails or metal using a steel stylus in testing.
- An “X” can be applied in place of a rating to indicate the classification was not tested or is not applicable. For example, VGuard General Purpose Coated gloves will appear like this:
ANSI-105 Standard for Abrasion Resistance
Abrasion Resistance refers to how long the glove should last, or the glove life. The higher the ANSI abrasion level, the longer the life. To determine the level, a piece of the glove’s palm is rotated under two abrasive, weighted wheels that scrape against the material. The number of revolutions needed to break through the liner and the coating determines abrasion level. All VGuard® gloves are tested to the ANSI abrasion standard.
ANSI-105 Standard for Puncture Resistance
A steel blunt probe penetrates test fabric at a 90-degree angle at 100mm/min. The force on the stylus at the moment of puncture determines the puncture level. Although the test is the same for both ANSI/ISEA and EN standards, each standard uses different weights to determine puncture level.
EN388 Badge Anatomy
EN388 is a European standard that tests gloves against mechanical risks such as abrasion, cut, tear and puncture.
Up until 2016, EN388 only included one method for cut resistance testing, the Coup test. This test determines the material’s cut resistance rating through the counts of rotations needed for a circular blade, moving laterally, to cut through the material. However, the blade would dull quickly when testing yarns with high levels of glass and steel fibers, which resulted in unreliable cut scores. The newest EN388:2016 standard includes the TDM test, which is the same method of testing cut resistance as ANSI 2016.
The shield icon has four numbers underneath that represent the Abrasion, Cut (Coup Test), Tear, and Puncture testing results. The last letter in the sequence represents the new cut resistant testing results (Based on the TDM machine).
All VGuard gloves are tested to these standards and list the applicable ANSI Cut, ANSI Abrasion, ANSI Puncture, and EN388 icons on the back of the hand and on the insert tag.