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Evan Barna February 22, 2019

Cut Protection Levels: Do I Really Need that A4?

Selecting a cut protective glove out of a sea of options can be a daunting and challenging task. Gloves have differentiating cut protection levels that may range from dramatic differences to miniscule changes. It’s hard to know what level of cut protection is needed, let alone what product to choose.

ANSI standards are critical to consider when selecting cut gloves. Prior to March 2016, there were only five ANSI cut levels when evaluating PPE. With the changes to the ANSI cut standards in March 2016, there is now one uniform piece of equipment, the TDM machine, used for testing and nine levels of cut protection notated by the A1 to A9 markings. The biggest effect of these new levels is more segmentation in what was the old ANSI cut 4 range. Gloves rated level 4 in the old range can be rated A4, A5 or A6 in the new range. The new high-end levels - A7, A8 and A9 - will apply to some food gloves and manufacturing gloves geared for working with razor sharp objects.

Selecting the right cut glove ensures you are protected and will have the right level of performance for the required job. The easiest way to make sure you have the right glove for the job? Call in the experts. Our Ansell Guardian assessment service helps companies select the right PPE solution to improve their safety and business performance.

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