Keeping Your Hands Safe with Cut Resistant Gloves

When it comes to keeping your hands safe from hazards in the workplace, our go-to suggestion is for you to use cut resistant gloves. These types of gloves are specifically designed to protect you from potential injuries that can be caused by sharp tools and materials. It is important to understand the basics of cut resistant gloves so that you can select the appropriate glove material and protection level for your circumstance.
 
The most common places you’ll use cut resistant gloves are in construction and mechanic professions and in many industrial fields. You’ll see that cut resistant gloves are often constructed out of materials such as steel, leather, cotton, or KevlarÒ.
 
When it comes to cut resistant gloves, there are three main categories:
  1. Metal Mesh: these gloves are made of tiny stainless-steel rings and resemble a version of chainmail.
  2. Seamless Knit: these are usually made from one single piece of a synthetic material and are sometimes coated for additional protection.
  3. Cut and Sewn: these gloves are constructed by the material being cut to the proper shape and sewn together. This means they can be made fully from cut-resistant material or from traditional material that has added reinforcements for cut resistance.
 
All cut resistant gloves are rated by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and are given an ANSI rating. There are nine cut level classifications that rate gloves for their level of protection. The classifications range from A1 to A9 and these ratings are based off tests that show how many grams of weight are needed to cut through the glove material in less than one inch of blade travel.
 
Here’s a breakdown of appropriate applications for each ANSI cut rating:
  • A1: material handling, paper cuts, parts assembly
  • A2 & A3: general purpose, light construction, material handling, small parts handling, warehouse
  • A4: HVAC, auto assembly, metal handling, drywalling, electrical, glass handling
  • A5 & A6: aerospace industry: meat processing, automotive, pulp & paper, sharp metal stamping, metal recycling
  • A7, A8, & A9: industrial pipe fitting, steel cable handling, sheet metal, butchering, oil & gas, sharp metal stamping, pulp & paper
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