The cut resistance standard from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) became effective in North America in March 2016. The updated ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 standard, based on the ASTM F2992-15 testing method, measures cut resistance for Industrial work gloves on a 9-level scale of A1-to-A9. ANSI/ISEA adjusted their cut resistance standards in 2016 to reflect new technological changes in materials and techniques. The previous ANSI/ISEA 105-2011 rating went up to only a 5-level scale.
The levels indicate what the gloves can withstand by the measure of weight in grams until the cut-through is achieved. To understand what each level might be good for, we’ve listed them below and added some industrial applications.
A1: 200–499 grams (Low Cut Hazards)
General purpose, warehousing, and small parts assembly.
A2: 500–999 grams (Light Cut Hazards)
General purpose, plastics injecting and molding, pulp and paper.
A3: 1000–1499 grams (Light/Medium Cut Hazards)
Raw material handling, general manufacturing, and construction.
A4: 1500–2199 grams (Medium Cut Hazards)
HVAC, aerospace, and food prep.
A5: 2200–2999 grams (Medium/High Cut Hazards)
Glass or metal sheet handling, automotive assembly, HVAC
A6: 3000–3999 grams (High Cut Hazards)
Metal fabrication, glass manufacturing, changing blades.
A7: 4000–4999 grams (Higher Cut Hazards)
Meat prep/processing, glass manufacturing, and changing blades.
A8: 5000–5999 grams (Highest Cut Hazards)
Metal stamping, recycling, heavy assembly.
A9: 6000+ grams (Extreme Cut Hazards)
Sharp metal stamping, recycle sorting, metal fabrication.
The ANSI/ISEA 105 ASTM F2992-15 standard uses a straight blade to measure cut resistance on a 20-millimeter distance. This scale allows for testing higher cut-resistant materials and to more accurately categorize them for results up to 6000 gram
