Development of a New Cut Test for Protective Gloves Against Machine-Driven Knives

Staff involved in industrial cutting operations are at risk of injury to their hands from mechanically driven reciprocating or rotating knives. Existing test methods and draft test methods were evaluated using a range of the types of materials used in protective gloves. These tests were found to be inadequate in reproducing either the types of cutting mechanisms or the severity of cut found with mechanically driven cloth cutting machines. A test has been developed to more closely simulate these machines. This test has successfully discriminated between materials with high and low performances.