Cut-resistant Gloves for Your Commercial Kitchen

Cut-resistant Gloves Guide

In commercial kitchens, knives are necessary tools for prepping everything from fruit and vegetables to meat and bread. Though cooks are often knowledgeable about how to safely use knives of different shapes and sizes, it only takes one slip of the hand or a misplaced cut to cause a dangerous and costly injury. To be compliant with OSHA regulation 1910.138, employees should be provided protective hand equipment for when they are handling knives and other tools that could cause "severe cuts or lacerations."1 Below, you can learn more about the cut-resistant gloves available for commercial kitchens.

Types of Cut-resistant Gloves

Cut-resistant gloves are commonly made of stainless steel and synthetic fibers. Stainless steel is often the metal of choice for mesh gloves, which are metal gloves that might bring chainmail armor to mind. These cut-resistant gloves differ in the size of the mesh, with tighter mesh designs making it more difficult for knife tips to puncture through the glove. However, stainless steel is also used as a core layer in gloves made primarily of fiber materials such as nylon and polyester.

Some manufacturers also offer cut-resistant gloves made with more specialized materials, including Dyneema®, a strong and durable fiber made from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene2 (UHMWPE), and Kevlar®, a strong synthetic fiber developed by DuPont™ some 50 years ago.3 Both of these materials are often used in ballistic and body armor, but can also be found in a number of industries that rely on strength and durability.

In addition to being available in a variety of materials, cut-resistant gloves come in a number of styles. For example, they may stop at the wrist or extend beyond it for extra protection. Gloves are available in colors like green, red or pink, blue, and yellow, or in gray and white with colored wrist bands; these HACCP-friendly color-coded gloves can help prevent cross-contamination.

Cut-resistant gloves may also be designed to be ambidextrous or to fit on the left or right hand, with sizes ranging from extra-small to extra-large. You may wish to keep a few of each option in your kitchen to ensure each cook can find one that fits.

Cut-resistant gloves are ranked in levels according to ANSI standards that test the cut resistance of protective gear. This ranking has commonly adhered to a five-level system,4 but updated ANSI standards indicate cut resistance with an expanded nine-level system.5 However, many products still have ratings based on the Level 1 to Level 5 system; cut-resistant gloves meant for commercial food prep will most likely be ranked at Level 4 or 5, though some may have Level 3 resistance. The new cut resistance standard is distinguished by the letter A in front of the number, such as Level A6.

  1. OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standards. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Accessed February 2018.
  2. Dyneema. DSM. Accessed February 2018.
  3. Kevlar Brand. DuPont. Accessed February 2018.
  4. Understanding Cut-Resistant Levels. EHS Today. Accessed February 2018.
  5. Guide to the New ANSI and EN388 Cut Levels. American Society of Safety Engineers. Accessed February 2018.