ANSI/ISEA Cut Levels

The above guide should be used only as a general reference point. Always keep in mind that each technology allows us to manufacturer cut resistant gloves and sleeves, not cut proof. You will find a lot more information for the specific cut resistant technologies in each dedicated feature page.

Industries - Cut Dangers Lurks Everywhere

Cuts and lacerations occur at a rate of 8.1 incidents for every 10,000 workers.  If you’re a worker, chances are good that either you or one of your co-workers will be cut at some point.  If you’re an employer, it’s almost guaranteed that you will be shelling out money for lost productivity and health care costs sooner or later.  Therefore, it only makes sense to provide appropriate PPE on the front end, to both protect your workers and to potentially save on indirect costs associated with injury. 

Many industries have at least some level of hazard from cuts and lacerations, but workers in accommodation and food services, construction, retail trade, manufacturing, and utilities face elevated cut and laceration risks.  See the table below. 

Top Industries with Cut Injuries

One surprising trend is that cuts and lacerations are now more common in the retail trades than in manufacturing, and the injury numbers there are rising.  Opening boxes and handling box cutters is an application that many workers forget can easily cause dangerous cuts.

N9690TC protecting a worker’s hand from a box cutter.

Most Dangerous Occupations by Incident Rate

Perhaps not surprisingly, food preparation positions claim the #1 spot on the top 20 list of cut and laceration injuries by occupation.  By the numbers, food is more dangerous to work with than sheet metal. 

Here are the top 20 occupations with the highest cut, laceration, and puncture incident rates, as reported by the BLS:

Here is how the BLS computes the total incident rate:

Cut Injury Sources

We highlighted the primary sources of puncture injuries, applications, and events in our Top ANSI Puncture Resistant blog.  Cut injuries occur from many of the same incidents; however, there are some sources that cause more cuts than punctures.  The BLS reports the following as the main sources in 2017 where cut injuries occurred:

• Tools, instruments, and equipment – 29,680 injuries

 
Construction tools can quickly lacerate a worker’s hand.

• Hand tools – 19,430 injuries
• Parts and materials – 14,770 injuries 
• Machinery – 12,650 injuries
• Knives – 11,010 injuries

Not listed in our puncture blog, mostly sources of cut injuries:

• Containers, furniture, and fixtures – 9,030 injuries
• Structures and surfaces – 6,320 injuries
• Box cutters and razor knives – 5,440 injuries
• Vehicles – 4,420 injuries
• Metal and woodworking – 3,520 injuries
• Food slicers – 3,050 injuries
• Structural metal materials – 3,030 injuries

 
Structural metal is always a cut concern.  1400K (shown here) is lined with DuPont™ Kevlar®.

Events Causing Injuries

Below are the top events that cause cuts and lacerations in the above occupations:

• Contact with objects and equipment – 66,030 injuries 
  There are many variations of this injury that occur: workers struck by equipment or an object, workers struck against an object or equipment, falling equipment, slipped object, swinging object, object breaking in hand, workers caught in running equipment, etc. 
• Falls, slips, and trips – 5,240 injuries
• Transportation incidents – 1,070 injuries

Any metal object or equipment will quickly lacerate a worker’s hands.

Applications Where Cut Protection Is Required

Sheet Metal Industry Page

Sheet metal is ranked #2 on the list above.  We have an entire industry page dedicated to this type of work.  Just click the image to learn more about the protection this worker will require. 

Additional Information

• An Overview of the Main Types of Glove Materials
• All About Cut Resistant Glove Levels
• Orange Kevlar
• Our Best Cut-Resistant Gloves