ANSI A1–A9 Cut Levels Explained: How to Choose the Right Rating

ANSI A1–A9 Cut Levels Explained: How to Choose the Right Rating

Every glove buyer has lived this moment. A customer asks for the highest cut level you stock, a tender document copies a rating from a competitor catalogue, or a safety manager insists on one level for every task on the site. The result is predictable: gloves that are too stiff for fine work get taken off, gloves that are too light for sharp work get blamed after an incident, and your returns pile up for reasons that have nothing to do with quality. The ANSI A1 to A9 scale exists to stop that guessing. Used properly, it lets you match a glove to a real hazard instead of a sales slogan. This guide explains what the numbers measure, which tasks sit at each level, why over-specifying costs you money and compliance, and how your sales team can run a simple selection worksheet with any customer.

The TDM-100 Test and What a Gram Rating Actually Measures

ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 rates cut resistance using the TDM-100 test machine. A straight blade is drawn across a sample of the glove material under a series of different loads, and the test records the load at which the blade cuts through the material over a set travel distance. That load, expressed in grams, becomes the basis of the rating. In plain terms, the gram figure answers one narrow question: how much force, applied through a sharp straight edge in controlled laboratory conditions, does this material resist before it is cut through?

That narrowness matters. A gram rating is not a guarantee against every sharp object in a workplace. It does not measure puncture from a needle, tearing, abrasion life, or what happens when an edge is serrated, twisted, or dragged repeatedly over the same spot. It also does not measure grip, dexterity, or comfort, which decide whether anyone keeps the glove on. Treat the A-level as one verified data point about one failure mode, then build the rest of your selection around the actual task. Buyers who understand that distinction write better specifications, receive fewer complaints, and can explain to their own customers why a given glove was chosen.

The Level-by-Level Task Map: A1 Through A9

The scale runs from A1, the lightest protection, to A9, the highest. Each step represents a higher gram load in the TDM test.

• A1, 200–499 grams: Light protection for low-risk handling where cuts are a minor nuisance rather than a serious hazard, such as general assembly, light material handling, and warehouse work with smooth-edged goods.
• A2, 500–999 grams: A step up for tasks with occasional contact with lightly sharp edges, including packaging work, light fabrication support, and handling parts with minor burrs.
• A3, 1000–1499 grams: A common middle ground for general industry, appliance and parts handling, and jobs where workers regularly pick up trimmed or formed components with defined edges.
• A4, 1500–2199 grams: For regular contact with sharper metal edges and sheet materials, such as metal fabrication, stamping support, and HVAC-type work where cut edges are part of the daily routine.
• A5, 2200–2999 grams: For heavier fabrication, glass handling support, and recycling or waste work where edges are sharper, loads are higher, and contact is frequent rather than occasional.
• A6, 3000–3999 grams: For high-risk handling of sharp sheet, blades, and heavy components where a failed glove has serious consequences and the work justifies a stiffer, heavier construction.
• A7, 4000–4999 grams: For very high cut exposure in demanding industrial tasks, where protection is prioritised and the loss of fine dexterity is an accepted trade-off.
• A8, 5000–5999 grams: For extreme edge hazards in specialised work, selected deliberately after a hazard assessment rather than as a general-purpose upgrade.
• A9, 6000 grams and above: The top of the scale, reserved for the most severe cut hazards. Specify A9 only where the assessment genuinely demands it, and evaluate any A9 offer on its test documentation like any other level.

Use this map as a starting conversation, not a final answer. Two jobs with the same material can sit at different levels because force, frequency, and the condition of the edge differ. A worker who occasionally carries a panel is not in the same position as a worker who pulls sharp offcuts from a press all shift.

The Real Cost of Over-Specifying

Choosing two levels higher than the hazard requires feels safe, but it creates its own risks. Higher cut resistance usually means heavier yarns, denser construction, and a stiffer glove. Stiffness reduces dexterity, so workers struggle with small fasteners, controls, and packaging tasks. Reduced dexterity leads to a familiar behaviour: the glove comes off for the fiddly part of the job, which is often exactly when hands are closest to the edge. An unworn high-rated glove protects nobody.

Comfort drives the same problem. Hot, rigid gloves are quietly replaced with whatever is at hand, and your customer ends up with an uncontrolled mix of products on site. For distributors and importers there is a commercial cost too. Over-specified gloves cost more to buy, are harder to sell against correctly specified competitors, and generate returns and complaints framed as quality problems when the real problem was selection. Specifying correctly is not cutting corners. It is how you keep protection on hands, keep reorder rates healthy, and keep your range defensible when a customer compares you line by line with another supplier.

A Simple Worksheet Your Sales Team Can Use

Selection improves when your team asks the same questions every time. Build a one-page worksheet around these prompts.

• What is the edge? Describe the material, whether the edge is smooth, burred, serrated, or broken, and whether it is fixed or moving.
• How much force and how often? Note whether workers grip, pull, or slide against the edge, and whether contact happens occasionally or throughout the shift.
• What else must the glove do? Record grip conditions, wet or oily contact, dexterity needs, and any other hazards such as abrasion or puncture.
• What is worn now, and what goes wrong? Current product, current rating, and the actual complaint tell you whether to move up, move down, or change construction rather than level.
• Which level follows from the answers? Pick the lowest level that properly covers the assessed hazard, then trial it on the real task before rolling it out.

That last step is the discipline that matters. A trial with real workers on the real job will expose dexterity and grip problems that no data sheet can predict, and it gives your customer documented reasoning for the choice they made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a higher A-level always safer?

No. A higher level resists more force in the TDM test, but if the glove is too stiff or uncomfortable to wear, real-world protection falls. The safest glove for a task is the correctly rated glove that workers keep on for the whole job.

Does the A-level cover puncture and tear risks too?

No. The ANSI cut rating addresses cut resistance only. Puncture, tear, and abrasion are separate properties, assessed and reported separately. If the job involves pointed or tearing hazards, specify those properties explicitly instead of assuming a high cut level covers them.

Can I convert an A-level into an EN 388 rating?

Not directly. ANSI and EN 388 use different test methods and different units, so there is no exact one-to-one conversion. If your customer sells into both markets, request documentation for both standards rather than relying on a converted figure.

Who decides which level a workplace needs?

The employer does, through a hazard assessment. In the United States, OSHA 1910.138 requires employers to assess hand hazards and select appropriate protection, but it does not name a specific A-level. Your role as supplier is to provide accurate ratings and selection support for that assessment.

Should every worker on a site wear the same level?

Rarely. Different tasks on the same site usually carry different cut exposure. Matching levels by task typically improves both protection and wearer compliance, and it avoids paying for maximum protection where the hazard does not justify it.

Talk to INTEGRITY GLOVE About Your Range

If you are building or reviewing a cut-resistant range, send us the tasks, edges, and markets you are specifying for, and we will help you map them to the right ANSI levels with supporting documentation. Contact INTEGRITY GLOVE by email at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +86 1515 289 1159. For minimum order quantities and lead times, please contact us for details, as these vary by construction and programme.