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Questions & Answers: A Deep Dive into Cut Resistant Gloves

  1. Can you describe some workplace injuries that could be avoided with the use of cut resistant gloves? Are there applications and industries where they are especially necessary?

In most cases, cut resistant gloves are worn in today’s workplace to prevent an array of injuries occurring. With all of the development over the last 25 years in yarn and knitting technology, we now have products that can protect workers from and array of hazards. From the very basic “band aid” type cuts, like those present from cardboard in warehousing environments or plastics in an injection molding facility, all the way up to the most demanding protection in extreme high laceration hazards such as food processing in the protein industry or plate glass manufacturing/handling. As we see the face of on-the-job safety continue to evolve over time, we see hand protection manufacturers changing right alongside of it. End users now have access to affordable cut protection for nearly any job that requires repetitive use of one’s hands in a hazardous environment. You are also starting to see commoditization of more traditionally lower cut resistant type gloves (eg: A2-A3 levels) as producers find ever increasing ways to produce gloves at these levels more efficiently at lower costs. What once were applications that typically required a general purpose style glove are now seeing low level cut gloves become the norm – offering end users piece of mind for the same price.

  1. Is the cut resistant scale specified in ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 commonly embraced by major industrial glove manufacturers?

For the most part today, the majority of the safety industry has embraced the ASNI/ISEA 105-2106 standard as it is written. Like any other sweeping industry regulation change, however, the first few years were filled with tremendous amounts of confusion, incorrect information or just plain wrong understanding of the actual test methods and standards which govern cut resistance testing in the U.S. In my humble opinion, there still remains some areas for improving the standard overall, but for the most part it is fairly comprehensive in its scope and efficacy.

  1. Can you explain the nine different levels of that scale? (Do they refer to specific hazards?)

Within the ANSI/ISEA 105/2016 standard, in the section concerning cut resistance (5.1.1), there lies the rules for classifying the cut resistance level of a glove. It is clearly stated which ASTM testing method must be used to obtain the empirical data necessary to then be classified against the table of levels A1 through A9. Each level has a specific threshold weight that must be obtained during testing to reach that level of cut resistance. Whatever the final result obtained during testing is (sometimes referred to as the Rating Force – which is reported in grams) this weight can then be compared to table in the standard to determine its corresponding cut level.

Now what does that mean to lay person, the world outside the lab? Because the testing is performed in a controlled environment, with few variables and very strict testing procedures, the results become more of a guide than a gospel. We do find some industries prefer to use or find better results using certain levels of cut protection (eg: automotive stamping tends to use gloves ranging from A4-A6 for the most part) however there is no set rules for what level should be used in a particular job. While most manufacturers will make basic recommendations for cut levels used in certain types of applications, each application is unique and should be treated as such. Proper evaluation of the hazards present, the time of use, environment, contaminants present, even sizing are some of the key factors to consider when selecting the right cut level for a particular end use application.

  1. How do safety managers use the scale to choose cut resistant gloves that are most effective for their workers?

For quite some time now the “time honored,” completely absurd tradition of using a particular cut level glove until recordable injuries become a problem, and then increasing the cut level 1 or 2 levels to combat that problem continues to be an issue. What is unique about this however is it does usually help solve the problem (at the expense of whomever was injured, of course.) This firsthand experience, albeit archaic and nonsensical, can help safety managers understand their application hazards more thoroughly and unfortunately is still rampantly in use in today’s workplace. Many larger corporations have adopted higher than typical cut levels be mandated across their entire network of facilities to lessen risk of injuries as a whole and this is helpful yes, but not always the answer. Good news is end users who partner with trusted glove producers and distributors can help properly educate safety managers on proper cut resistance protection selection. When in doubt, talk to your hand protection specialists to aid you in making these crucial decisions. Unfortunately, the OSHA standard revolving around hand protection is incredibly vague and offers little assistance to make those educated and calculated selections. Allow the experts to guide your decision making process – your employees will thank you for it.

  1. Can you provide insight into the evolution of cut resistance in hand protection?

When Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont invented Kevlar back in 1965, I doubt she had cut resistant gloves on the top of her list of practical uses for her incredible new yellow fiber. However, that was one of the eventual evolutionary uses of Kevlar and that kick started the “cut resistant glove renaissance”. This period of textile enlightenment birthed many new fibers that are household terms in our industry now like Kevlar, Twaron, Dyneema, Spectra etc. Overtime yarn spinners and engineers found more creative ways to blend fibers of all types with rigid core materials like filament fiberglass and steel to constantly achieve higher and higher levels of cut resistance. Back in the mid 90s, gloves made from 100% Kevlar fiber ruled the roost and commanded top dollars to purchase. Now in 2022, very few single fiber cut resistant gloves remain and blended fiber products have reached levels of affordable cut resistance unthinkable 30 years ago.

  1. Can cut resistant gloves be comfortable?

Of course! They should be. And the majority nowadays are very comfortable. Still the single most common reason workers get recordable hand injuries from cut hazards on the job is because they were not actually wearing gloves. If your glove is not comfortable, your employees will not want to wear them – and you can see where that leads.

  1. Beyond the levels, what do purchasers need to know about cut resistance in gloves?

Numerous things, that again revert back to the statement “each end use is unique.” Purchasers should be aware of many critical factors when selecting hand protection to protect against cuts. It is not only sharp ended objects that can cause injuries in the workplace. All hazards that are present should be quantified and understood prior to making any decision for proper hand protection. For instance, the ANSI/ISEA 105/2016 mentioned above covers more than just cut resistance. Included in this standard are specifications for classifying abrasion resistance, puncture resistance, chemical protection, heat and flame protection, vibration reduction, etc. There is not one end use application on earth that has only cut hazards present and nothing else; there is always more to that story.

  1. Can you discuss gloves that combine cut resistance with other features, in order to protect workers against a number of hazards?

This all goes back to understanding your application. Every single cut resistant glove has more than cut resistance as its only feature. Typically it’s the addition of abrasion resistance being the most common co-feature to cut, as repetitive use is the name of the game. But everything from hypodermic needle protection to anti-vibration, to chemical permeation protection can be added co-features to cut resistant gloves and some may have four, five, six or even more features to boast about. Know your application hazards, and you will know what features to look for beyond the obvious cut level. WMHS

For more information, visit Showa’s website at www.showagroup.com.

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