The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has closed public comment on a draft revision to its voluntary consensus standard for hand protection selection.

The ANSI/ISEA 105 standard on hand protection selection criteria addresses the classification and testing of hand protection for specific performance properties related to mechanical protection (cut-resistance, puncture resistance and abrasion resistance), chemical protection (permeation resistance, degradation) and other performance characteristics such as ignition resistance and vibration reductions.

Updates to the standard will reflect current technologies, applications and use and to harmonize the criteria with international standards.

Key focus

Cut-resistance testing and classification is a key area of focus for this revision, including the use of a single test method for testing in effort to provide consistent meaning of the ratings from the end-user perspective; and possible expansion of the classification levels address the disparate gap among certain levels seen in earlier versions and to model the approach used in similar international standards.

Another area for consideration is the incorporation of a needlestick puncture test, recognizing that this is a common potential exposure for the medical, sanitation and recycling industries.