Glove Cut Resistant Standard – EN388
Glove Cut Resistant Standard – EN388
A few years ago I wrote about this issue and due to the increase in newer cut resistant gloves, I thought it would be helpful to post this information again. Actually, it was one of my most read posts since my blog was started in 2008.
Work glove hand protection standards have existed for years but most users fail to pay attention to the ratings. Specifically cut resistance. Both the ANSI (American National Standard Institute) and the EU (European Union) have hand protection selection criteria.
Although the criteria between both is very complex, I prefer seeing the EU – EN388 symbol since it rates the gloves for abrasion, blade cut, tear, and puncture resistance. ANSI doesn’t have a single symbol covering these categories. However, in situations requiring a very high level of cut resistance, you should look for gloves tested and rated under both standards since they vary on the high end in the cut resistant category.
In the EN-388 symbol (shown) you will see a number for each category. All tests are ranked 1-4 (4 being the highest level) except for the blade cut category ranking of 1-5.
I wrote an article that included this information and you can view it at this link: A practical guide to Hand Protection. You can always contact me if you have any questions or need any assistance on work glove and cut resistant glove selections.
FYI: Since the CE (EU) glove standards are mandatory in Europe and most gloves sold in North America are imported, you will see this symbol more often.
View our Cut Resistant Gloves at the following link:
