Cutting Edge Protection: The Best Practices for Cut-Resistance Gloves

For many workplaces, machine guards or modified work procedures are sufficient to eliminate the risk of injury to workers’ hands. When these measures fail to eliminate the hazards, however, protective gloves are the primary means of protecting workers’ hands. The nature of the hazards and the operations your workers perform typically determine the selection of gloves. If your workers are exposed to cut hazards and could suffer a laceration, cut-resistant gloves should be used.

OSHA expects employers to perform a PPE assessment to determine which types of hand PPE will offer adequate protection from cuts and lacerations.

According to OSHA regulations, under 1910.138(a), General Requirements, employers are required to select and ensure that workers use proper hand protection when their hands are exposed to hazards, including skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and extreme temperatures.

Under 1910.138(b), Selection, employers must choose the appropriate hand protection based on an assessment of the hand protection’s performance characteristics in relation to the tasks to be performed, the conditions present, the expected duration of use, and the identified hazards and potential risks.

Most companies follow the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) standard for hand protection—ANSI/ISEA 105-2016—as their guideline, which was recently updated in 2024. This standard establishes cut levels based on the amount of gram weight needed to cut through a fabric swatch with a 20-millimeter pass (approximately three-quarters of an inch).

Originally, there were only five levels of cut protection for workers under ANSI/ISEA. In 2016, ANSI expanded its five cut-level protections into four additional categories under its ANSI/ISEA 105 standard, Hand Protection Selection Criteria. These additional categories are A6 through A9. You’ll also see an EN 388 infographic on cut-resistant gloves.

Like ANSI 105, an EN 388 cut rating correlates with cut resistance levels used outside the United States in the European Union Countries. In North America, though, ANSI 105 cut resistance ratings are used.

What do the numbers that are imprinted on cut-resistant rated work gloves mean? They correlate to how resistant the gloves are to abrasions, cuts, tears, or punctures. Considering that 30% of all workplace injuries involve cuts or lacerations, using cut-resistant gloves with nitrile and polyurethane coatings or steel fibers are workers’ best defense in preventing these kinds of injuries.

Remember, cut-resistant gloves are not cut-proof but are made and tested to resist a cut from a blade or sharp object. A higher cut rating means that the glove material resisted higher cutting force during testing.

In conclusion, cut-resistant gloves are a crucial investment for protecting workers from injuries caused by sharp objects and tools. By choosing the right pair of cut-resistant gloves, employers can significantly reduce the risk of cuts, enhance workplace safety, and promote a culture of care and responsibility.