While more than half of the gloves used in environments where workers need protection against mechanical hazards are made from leather, and cotton is also still widely used, many types of man-made fibers are available today that can offer improved protection and comfort.
But even when gloves are worn, hand injuries can happen for several reasons. The most important is that workers are often not aware of the level of protection they need for the job they are doing. There is a large difference in cut-resistance levels between the different types of gloves sold as cut-resistant. A low level of cut resistance should not be used in environments where very sharp knives or other sharp materials are used. But how does the worker know whether or not a glove gives a certain level of protection?