Cut Resistant Glove Levels #ANSI

In January 2016, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) received American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approval for ANSI/ISEA 105-2016, the updated American National Standard for Hand Protection Classification. It’s the first revision of ANSI/ISEA 105 since 2005. The European Union is introducing a change in their hand protection standard, too.

Safety gloves are a must-have piece of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in many workplace settings. Aside from protecting against chemicals and abrasions, they’re a final safeguard against accidental cuts. Gloves come in a variety of materials, from light, thin fabric to much heavier, stiffer polymers. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has divided safety gloves into nine levels of protection (known as Cut Resistance Levels) as follows:

Level A1: Requires a minimum of 200 g of weight to cut material.?

Level A2: Requires a minimum of 500 g of weight to cut material.

Level A3: Requires a minimum of 1000 g of weight to cut material.

Level A4: Requires a minimum of 1500 g of weight to cut material.

Level A5: Requires a minimum of 2200 g of weight to cut material.

Level A6: Requires a minimum of 3000 g of weight to cut material.

Level A7: Requires a minimum of 4000 g of weight to cut material.

Level A8: Requires a minimum of 5000 g of weight to cut material.

Level A9: Requires a minimum of 6000 g of weight to cut material.

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These levels protect variously against light nuisance cuts, such as paper cuts, all the way to heavy, dangerous materials like broken glass or knives used for meat processing.

The challenge for an OHS expert is to find a glove that:

a)?adequately protects workers

b) allows a maximum degree of maneuverability for better handling

c) is as inexpensive as possible

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