· Published by Industrial Work Shoes
The maximum level is not the best option
It seems counterintuitive, but it is the most expensive lesson in glove selection: a very high cut-level glove in a fine assembly position comes off within ten minutes, because it will not let you pick up a small part or feel a connector.
The result is not more protection: it is zero protection, because the glove is in a pocket. Dexterity is a safety criterion, not a luxury.
Cut: how to read the two scales
ANSI/ISEA 105 classifies A1 to A9 by the load in grams needed to cut the material. As a practical reference: general handling is usually solved at A1-A2, edged assembly and thin sheet at A3-A4, and burred sheet or glass at A5 or above.
EN 388 returns four digits: abrasion, cut, tear and puncture, from a different test method. There is no valid conversion between the two scales. If your corporate specification is in one and the supplier quotes the other, ask for the figure in the one that applies.
Chemical: permeation, not appearance
Nitrile, neoprene, PVC, latex and butyl behave very differently against each substance. A material can resist one solvent well and degrade in minutes with another.
The choice comes from two documents: the chemical's safety data sheet and the glove manufacturer's permeation table. It does not come from the color, the apparent thickness, or what was used before.
And there is one figure almost nobody asks for: the breakthrough time. A glove can be compatible but only for twenty minutes of contact, which changes the procedure entirely.
Thermal and welding
Here it matters to distinguish contact heat from radiant heat. Split leather and suede solve contact; aluminized lining reflects radiation. And cuff length is chosen by the process: a short cuff in position welding leaves the forearm exposed to falling sparks.
A welding glove also has to let you release the electrode. A glove that is too stiff is a different hazard.
When to retire a glove
By condition, never by calendar. Perforation, palm thinning, detached coating, hardening or chemical contamination.
A torn glove protects less than none, because the worker trusts it and exposes their hand with the confidence of being covered. Pre-use inspection is part of the procedure, not an extra.
How to calculate real consumption
Gloves per operator per week, times operators, times weeks in the period. That number is what lets you negotiate volume pricing and build the delivery calendar.
Without it, every glove purchase is an emergency, and emergencies always cost more. If your supplier does not help you calculate it, it probably suits them that they stay emergencies.
The line that solves this
The plant's highest-turnover PPE and the one most often chosen wrong. We carry the full families and help you assign the right level per position.
Safety Gloves