Safety guides · 21 guides on hand protection
Hand protection guides
Plain words first, the standard cited under it, and the products that carry the rating with live prices. 21 guides, each with the question people type as its heading. Bayshore Safety, industrial safety and PPE supplier since 2017.
ANSI A4 vs A5 vs A6 gloves: what the levels protect againstThe three levels are steps on one scale: the grams of load a straight blade needs to cut through the glove material in the ANSI/ISEA 105 test.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016; ASTM F2992-15; 29 CFR 1910.132(d) and 1910.138Can cut-resistant gloves be washed? Care and when to replace themYes, most cut-resistant knit gloves can be washed, and the makers publish instructions for it.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 (cut levels); manufacturer laundering data from Ansell, MCR Safety and Cold-weather work gloves: what the EN 511 ratings meanEN 511 is the European standard for gloves that protect against cold, and it is the only published rating system for winter work gloves; there is no ANSI equivalent.EN 511:2006, as published by the manufacturers named; ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 for cut and abrasDisposable gloves: when must single-use gloves be changed?A single-use glove is changed when it is contaminated, when it is torn or punctured, when its ability to act as a barrier is in doubt, and when the task changes.29 CFR 1910.1030 (current e-CFR); FDA Food Code 2022; 21 CFR 800.20Do nitrile gloves conduct electricity? Rubber gloves and electrical shockNitrile rubber is not a conductor, and a dry nitrile glove will not carry current the way a wet or metal-backed glove would.29 CFR 1910.137 and 1910.335 (current e-CFR); ASTM D120-22; 21 CFR 800.20Electrical insulating rubber gloves: classes 00 to 4 and the testing OSHA requiresRubber insulating gloves are classed by voltage.29 CFR 1910.137 Tables I-1, I-2, I-4 and I-5 (current e-CFR); 29 CFR 1910.335; ASTM D120-2EN 388: how to read the four numbers and the letters on a gloveThe code under the EN 388 hammer pictogram reads left to right: abrasion (1 to 4), blade cut by the Coupe test (1 to 5), tear (1 to 4), puncture (1 to 4), then a letter A to F for cut resistance on the ISO 13997 straightEN 388:2016+A1:2018; EN ISO 13997; EN 13594 (impact); ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 and ASTM F2992 foGlove liners: what they do and when to use themA glove liner is a thin knit glove worn under another glove.29 CFR 1910.138 and 1910.1030(d)(3)(iii) (current e-CFR); manufacturer product data (AnselGloves for bloodborne pathogens: what 1910.1030 requiresOSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard requires gloves whenever an employee can reasonably be expected to touch blood, other potentially infectious materials, mucous membranes or broken skin, and whenever they handle conta29 CFR 1910.1030 (current e-CFR); ASTM D6319 and D3578 as cited by manufacturersHeat-resistant gloves: what the ANSI/ISEA 105 heat and flame levels meanANSI/ISEA 105 rates a glove for contact heat on a 5-level scale.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016; ASTM F1060-08 (conductive heat); ASTM F1358 (flame); ISO 17493 (heat dHow often do electrical gloves have to be tested?Rubber insulating gloves must be electrically tested before they are first issued and at least every 6 months after that.29 CFR 1910.137 (current e-CFR), Tables I-4 and I-5; ASTM D120 and F496 as referenced by OHow to clean and wash leather work gloves without ruining themBrush off the dirt, wash the gloves by hand in cool water with a little mild soap or saddle soap, work the lather in with your fingers, rinse without wringing, press out the water in a towel, and let them dry at room temManufacturer care instructions (PIP, MCR Safety, Caiman, Black Stallion, Tillman)How to measure your hand for glove sizeWrap a tape measure around your dominant hand at the widest part of the palm, just below the knuckles and not including the thumb.EN 420:2003+A1:2009 (hand sizing), manufacturer size chartsImpact-rated gloves: what ANSI/ISEA 138 levels 1, 2 and 3 meanANSI/ISEA 138 is the US standard for the padding on the back of a work glove.ANSI/ISEA 138-2019; EN 388:2016+A1:2018 and EN 13594:2015 for the comparisonNitrile vs latex vs vinyl gloves: what each material resistsNitrile is a synthetic rubber: no latex allergy risk, the best puncture resistance of the three, and good resistance to oils, fuels and many solvents.ASTM D6319-19 (nitrile), D3578-19 (latex), D5250-19 (vinyl); 29 CFR 1910.138OSHA hand protection requirements: what 1910.138 saysOSHA’s hand protection standard is two paragraphs.29 CFR 1910.138, 1910.132 and 1910 Subpart I Appendix B (current e-CFR); ANSI/ISEA 105-201What do ANSI cut levels A1 to A9 mean? The ANSI/ISEA 105 scaleThe ANSI cut level is the amount of force, in grams, that a straight blade needs to cut through a glove’s material in a lab test.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016; ASTM F2992-15What is a glove coating? Nitrile, polyurethane, latex and foam coatings comparedA coated glove is a knit fabric glove (the liner) that has been dipped in a liquid polymer that cures into a grip surface on the palm and fingers.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 (abrasion and cut levels); manufacturer coating data (PIP, Honeywell, MWhat is an ANSI puncture rating, and what is needle-stick puncture?An ANSI puncture rating is the force it takes to push a standard blunt probe through the glove material, on a scale of 1 to 5.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016; EN 388 clause 6.4 (puncture probe); ASTM F2878 (hypodermic needle); ASWhat is Kevlar, HPPE and Dyneema in a glove, and how do they differ?Kevlar is DuPont’s para-aramid fiber: it does not melt, breaks down at around 425 °C, and is the fiber in gloves that need cut resistance and heat resistance together, at the cost of a stiffer, heavier knit.ANSI/ISEA 105-2016; manufacturer fiber data (DuPont Kevlar; Avient Dyneema)Which gloves protect against chemicals? How to read a chemical resistance chartNo single glove protects against every chemical.29 CFR 1910.138 and 1910 Subpart I Appendix B (current e-CFR); ASTM F739; EN ISO 374-1:201