VIDEO: A Safety Manager's Guide to ANSI Cut Testing

When Environmental Health and Safety managers focus on hand protection, a critical part of the decision-making process comes down to cut-resistance levels. Today, we'll show you the test used to define a calculated cutting load measured in grams, and translate the grams into an ANSI level based on the 2016 standard seen here.

ANSI levels let you compare gloves with confidence because all manufacturers follow the same standards set by ASTM International using an instrument called the TDM 100. Here's a look at how the tests are performed. First the technician runs this validation test to be sure that blades used meet ASTM specifications. Actual cut test consists of a cutting edge under a specified load moving across the sample of the product, and the distance from initial contact to the point at which the blade cuts through is measured in millimeters. The farther the blade travels and the heavier the load, the higher the cut resistance.

Here, the technician affixes a conductive copper strip to the mandrel, covers it with a layer of glove material, and positions it in the TDM 100. Next, a fresh never-before-used blade is clamped into the apparatus. The technician selects a load weight to test, setting the weights onto the Platinum. The blade is eased into contact with the glove sample, and the TDM 100 is started. You can see the blade moving across the material. The TDM stops automatically when the blade cuts through the sample and touches the conductive copper strip underneath it. Finally, the TDM identifies the cut through distance for this test.

After logging the distance, the technician starts a new test using the same load weight but a fresh blade and sample. In fact, this test will be conducted five times and all five results recorded. And there's more. Following the standard, each product is cut and tested five times at three different load weights to produce cut-through distances ranging from 5 to 20, from 20 to 33, and from 33 to 50.8 millimeters.

All these results are entered into the performance calculator program, which provides the calculated cutting load that produces cut-through at the reference distance of 20 millimeters.

With the calculated cutting load of 1,506 grams, this glove gets an ANSI score of A4. Appropriate for medium to high cut hazards including metal and glass handling, automotive, and appliance manufacturing and more.

Now that you've seen a cut test, it's key to remember all participating manufacturers use this same equipment and follow the same ASTM standard so that you can compare gloves from different manufacturers with confidence and find the best protection for your application.