How to Choose Puncture Resistant Gloves July 14 2017

Selecting the right puncture resistant gloves for your task is a matter of great personal safety. Employees need to be equipped with the right type of gloves to get the job done with minimal risk. While many companies look to the gloves' "cut level" the truth is that cut level doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to puncture resistance. Here's what you need to know:

What is Cut Level?

Cut levels were developed by the American National Standards Institute and the International Safety Equipment Association. They are used to rate gloves based on their ability to resist cuts with a blade, blunt object penetration, needle penetration and abrasion. All gloves are subjected to a series of tests to determine where they fall on a scale of 0-4. 

How To Determine Which Cut Level is Right for You?

For the most part, cut level is used to rank a gloves' effectiveness at withstanding a slash from a sharp blade. Only gloves that are specifically marked for puncture resistance offer this added level of protection. Looking for a glove that has a cut level rating is a good place to begin your search for puncture resistant gloves, but you need to do additional research to determine whether or not the glove is specifically designed for puncture resistance. You also need to determine whether it is rated for blunt object puncture resistance or hypodermic needle resistance depending on the environment you are working in. 

How Puncture Resistant Gloves Work

Puncture resistant gloves are made using a fine mesh that covers the hand. These gloves are bulkier than regular gloves. The mesh may be made of a wide range of materials including stainless steel, Kevlar, fiberglass or other synthetic materials. In general, gloves with a higher puncture resistance have a much tighter mesh, but they also offer less dexterity to your fingers. This can cause a greater degree of fatigue over time. Puncture resistant gloves that offer more flexibility can make it easier to get work done, but have slightly less protective features. To help balance your needs you may also consider puncture resistant gloves that have rubberized coatings on the fingers which helps improve grip even if some dexterity is lost. 

Before you purchase just any cut resistant glove, make sure you understand what the different cut levels mean, and how puncture resistance plays into that rating. The higher the rating, the more effective your gloves will be at stopping cuts and abrasions but you need to pay close attention to puncture ratings if you want to protect your team from sharp needles or other objects that could penetrate the mesh. 

Pink Vest April 06 2016 1 Comment

Product: B-5800P

Description: High Visibility Pink Safety Vest that meets ANSI 107.

Have you ever walked through a job site and seen a vest that looks odd, or bizarre?  One that doesn't seem to fit the style of other safety vests on the market?  Have you ever wondered, "How in the world could that vest be ANSI 107 compliant?" and "How do I get one of those for my employees."

The answer to the first question is rather simple, if the manufacturer has the appropriate testing done for background material, the reflective tape and self certifies that a garment meets the ANSI 107 standard you can easily have garments that come in a wide range of colors and designs.  There are certain limitations regarding design but those are rather simple to get around.  For example and without boring you with specifics (if you do want them you're more then welcome to e-mail us), you have to have a certain amount of reflective tape in the shoulder area. 

Take a look at the B-5800P safety vest. 

It's unique, it's different and how can it meet the ANSI 107 Class 2 standard?  Well, it's rather easy actually.  All the components, except for the pink material, have been tested within the guidelines provided by the ANSI 107 standard.  As long as you have the appropriate amount of background material (the lime material) and reflective tape you can easily get any garment to meet that standard. 

In order to meet ANSI 107 Class 2 you only have to have 775 square inches of background material and 201 square inches of reflective material.  Generally speaking, as long as the garment meets those requires and all appropriate materials pass the ANSI 107 standards tests then you can have a compliant ANSI 107 Class 2 garment that's pink , bright and completely different then anything on the market. 

Remember, just because it's different doesn't mean it's not compliant.  If you have questions about the compliance of a garment just check out the label and call the manufacturer.

If you'd like, you can purchase these from our website with a minimum order quantity of 20 pieces (all sizes), they are made in the USA and take about 2-3 weeks to manufacture. 

You can purchase them here: https://brwsafety.com/products/b-5800p-pink-safety-vest