Canadian Occupational Safety

24 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com hen the commit- tee responsible for revising the ANSI/ ISEA standard on the selection of hand pro- tection launched about six years ago, it had a clear goal: to craft a simple approach to safety glove testing, says Matthew Reid, a former committee chairperson. "The whole theme was to take complexity out of this standard. And we think we've created something that is simpler, less complex for the user to understand," says Reid, who is a global sales and marketing professional at Stanley, N.C.-based DSM Dyneema. Released in January, the new stan- dard, ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 American National Standard for Hand Pro- tection Classifi cation, is the fourth version of a standard that deals with hand protection against mechanical, chemical and heat and fl ame hazards. Its most signifi cant changes are in the classifi cation and testing of cut resis- tant gloves: the levels of cut resistance have been expanded and testing pro- tocols will be more uniform. These changes will affect the way many safety managers choose gloves, increasing their ability to select the best glove for a task, one that does not overprotect or under protect. "There's a bit of science behind it, but there's also a bit of common sense. It's a more common-sense approach," says Reid. When classifying gloves, materials are graded based on how much weight (measured in grams) must be applied to a blade moving across a sample before it cuts through 20 millimetres (reference distance). This is referred to as the rating force or cutting force. The higher the value of this weight or force, the greater the resistance of the material to cuts. In the grading system of the revised standard, the number of cut levels, or classifi cations, has been increased from fi ve to nine. With the new standard, levels 1 to 3 remain largely the same; the big difference comes with level 4. There was a large gap between levels 4 and 5, from 1500 to 3499 grams, and that huge range had to be broken down. "Safety managers are by nature cau- tious and they're trying to mitigate risk," says David Gelpke, vice-presi- dent, global accounts at Grand Rapids, Mich.-based HexArmor. "With the new standard, they can secure proper levels of cut resistance for a task. If they were to specify a level 4 glove in the old system, it could be 1510 of cut resistance or it could be 3400 grams of cut resistance. That's such a wide spread of protection available within that one level. The new standard will allow them to make more informed decisions and allow them to select a proper level for the task." The new ANSI levels will include an "A" before the number to indicate the gloves have been tested according W New ANSI hand protection standard adds 4 new cut levels By Linda Johnson The classic OH&S resource in the format you prefer Now you can access the go to OH&S resource for Ontario companies – the "Green Book" – as a smart eBook on your iPad, Android tablet or directly from your web browser. Powered by the Thomson Reuters ProView™ app, our eBook gives you the freedom and fl exibility to work wherever and whenever you want. You get fast, convenient access to the complete current Ontario Occupational Health & Safety Act and regulations, and a list of OH&S information resources. To see what updates to the Act and Regulations are included in the 2016 edition, go to www.carswell.com/Pocket-ohs. Pocket Ontario OH&S Act & Regulations – Consolidated Edition is also available in a larger tabbed version with larger font, the Ontario OH&S Act & Regulations 2016 – Consolidated Edition. Pocket Ontario OH&S Act & Regulations 2016 – Consolidated Edition Ontario OH&S Act & Regulations 2016 – Consolidated Edition Now available as an eBook on Thomson Reuters ProView™ Pocket Ontario OH&S Act & Regulations 2016 – Consolidated Edition Order # 987050-65203 $23.95 Softcover + ProView eBook approx. 1050 pages March 2016 978-0-7798-7050-9 Ontario OH&S Act & Regulations 2016 – Consolidated Edition Order # 987207-65203 $23.95 Softcover + ProView eBook approx. 750 pages March 2016 978-0-7798-7207-7 Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. 00235SN-A54679 Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800

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