Hand Protection Standards, Ratings, & Testing
Applicable Standards : Puncture Resistance ANSI vs EN : Explaining Puncture Resistance Ratings
Just as there are no true cut-proof gloves, there are no absolutely puncture-proof gloves. There is sim - ply no way to guarantee that a glove will stop a sharp object from puncturing it. However, a puncture-re - sistant glove has a MUCH better chance of preventing or reducing an injury compared to:
• A hand with no glove at all • A glove not rated for any puncture-resistance • A glove rated for the wrong type of puncture-resistance ANSI/ISEA 105 and EN388 Testing Methods
Both ANSI & EN 388 currently use a similar test to determine overall puncture resistance. This test primarily targets Large Object puncture threats from sources such as nails, staples, barbed wire and similar items. It uses a standardized 4.5mm diameter steel probe with a rounded point - roughly equiv - alent to a #2 pencil or ballpoint pen - moving at a set speed of 100mm/min to penetrate a sample of material at a 90º angle. The testing machine records the maximum force exerted on the probe (measured in newtons) that is needed to fully penetrate the material. This test is usually performed a total of 12 times on the material to get an average measurement, which is then compared to a scale to determine the level of penetra - tion resistance. ANSI/ISEA 105 with ASTM F2878 (Large Object & Fine Object Threat) In addition to the standard’s criteria for choosing gloves when facing hazards from large or blunt ob - jects, the ASTM test was recently introduced to address Fine Object Puncture threats, primarily from hypodermic needles (this is not addressed in EN388). The ASTM F2878 test was designed to use a 25-gauge probe, the size of a hypodermic needle, and measures how many newtons of force it takes for the probe to pierce the sample. Since the gauge of the probe is so much thinner, a palm coating alone won’t prevent the probe from pen - etrating through to the hand. So a barrier material is required to protect against hypodermic needles. One of the most cost efficient and effective options is to weave in layers of Kevlar®, creating a lining that is cut AND puncture resistant. EN 388:1994 (Large Object Threat) This standard should be applied for choosing gloves when facing hazards from large or blunt objects. The EN388 test uses a probe about the same size of a ballpoint pen. The rating given to the glove is based on the amount of force needed to pierce the sample. This standard is good for industries like lumber, metal fabrication, or waste collection. The only downfall is that this test doesn’t take into ac - count fine-object puncture threats (which are addressed in the ANSI/ISEA 105 ASTM F2878 test). Much of a glove’s puncture resistance when being tested for the EN 388 standard comes from the glove’s coating. Different coatings offer different amounts of protection; for instance, nitrile typically has a higher level of puncture resistance than polyurethane.
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