Cut protection comes with its own technical language: test standards with numbers, test methods with abbreviations, two parallel scales for the protection level, plus material terms like ring mesh or HPPE. These terms come up constantly in niroflex’s in-depth articles, usually without room there for a full explanation. This glossary collects them in one place, alphabetically and kept concise. Where a more detailed article already exists, it is linked.
This overview is for anyone who selects or procures protective gloves, trains staff to use them, and needs to correctly interpret the information found in data sheets, tenders and test reports.
CE Marking
With the CE mark, the manufacturer declares that the glove meets the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Without this marking, the equipment cannot be placed on the market in the European Economic Area. Cut- and puncture-resistant gloves fall under Category III, the highest PPE category. Their conformity is monitored by a notified body, whose four-digit identification number appears directly after the CE mark. Which standards stand behind niroflex’s certificates: Certified Safety, Briefly Explained.
Chainmail Glove
A glove made of stainless steel ring mesh, worn on the free, non-knife-wielding hand in meat and fish processing. Its strength lies in forceful deboning and cutting-up work, where cuts and stabs occur close together. When it is the right choice and when a textile glove is enough is weighed up in Chainmail Glove or Cut-Resistant Glove?
Coating
The outer material layer on the base knit, usually polyurethane, nitrile or latex. It determines grip, behaviour in wet conditions, and resistance to oils and cleaning agents. It has little effect on the cut protection level — in wet, hygiene-sensitive areas, though, it is often the deciding factor. What role it plays there: Hand Protection in Wet Food Processing Environments.
Coup Test
The older of the two cut-test methods under EN 388. A rotating circular blade moves across the sample under a fixed load; the number of rotations needed to cut through is counted and compared against a reference fabric. This produces cut protection level 1 to 5. The catch: with very cut-resistant materials, the blade blunts during the test and pushes the result down. For such cases, the TDM Test under EN ISO 13997 is considered more accurate.
Cut Protection Level
The rating of how cut-resistant a glove material is. The Coup Test under EN 388 gives levels 1 to 5, the TDM Test under EN ISO 13997 gives performance levels A to F. Today, the letter scale is the more reliable benchmark, especially at the upper end. For more detail: What Does Cut Protection Level 5 Mean?
EN 388
The European base standard for protective gloves against mechanical risks. It bundles several individual tests — abrasion, cut (Coup Test), tear, puncture — plus, where relevant, cut resistance under EN ISO 13997 and impact protection. On the glove, the results appear as a fixed sequence of digits and letters under the pictogram; what each position means is explained in What Does Cut Protection Level 5 Mean?
EN 511
The standard for cold protection. It tests three things separately: protection against convective cold, protection against contact cold, and water penetration. In heavily chilled processing areas, it is the second standard that matters alongside cut protection. niroflex carries suitable models in the Cold Protection range.
EN ISO 13997
The international method for cut resistance, usually called the TDM Test. A straight blade is drawn once across the sample under increasing load; the force in Newtons required to cut through is measured. This force places the material into cut protection levels A to F. Why the scale stops at F, and what the Newton value additionally reveals, is covered in EN ISO 13997 Explained.
Food Contact Compliance
The evidence that a glove may safely come into direct contact with food. The legal basis is EC Regulation 1935/2004 and Regulation (EU) 10/2011 for food contact materials. The manufacturer declares compliance itself; it has nothing to do with the cut protection level.
HPPE
Short for high-performance polyethylene, a high-performance fibre. It is used as a textile alternative or complement to ring mesh and achieves high cut protection levels at low weight with good tactile feel. It protects less reliably against targeted stabs than stainless steel.
Newton Value
The force required in the TDM Test under EN ISO 13997 to cut through the material. The higher it is, the higher the cut protection level — A stands for the lowest, F for the highest tested level. The value says something about the material, not about the safety of an entire work process. For context on the figures: EN ISO 13997 Explained.
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment — anything a person wears on their body or in their hand to protect against safety or health risks. Gloves against cut and stab injuries belong to Category III, the risks with severe or permanent consequences. niroflex’s range for the food industry is shown in the portfolio overview.
Puncture Protection
Protection against sharp objects penetrating through — knife tips, bone splinters, as occur during deboning and cutting-up. This is not the same as cut protection: a material can be excellently armoured against cuts and still offer little resistance to a targeted stab. Stainless steel ring mesh still holds up best here. Products: Puncture Protection.
Risk Assessment
The systematic evaluation of all hazards at a workplace, and the basis for every protective measure. For glove selection, that means: the task, tools and environment determine which cut protection level and which additional properties are needed — not a blanket maximum value applied across the board.
Stainless Steel Ring Mesh
Thousands of individually welded stainless steel rings, joined into a flexible armour — the material of classic chainmail gloves. It withstands cuts and targeted stabs like no textile cut protection can, but is heavier and allows less tactile feel. niroflex has been making such gloves since 1968. A quick explanation of the material: Ring Mesh Explained in 30 Seconds.
Tactile Sensitivity
How well fine movements can still be carried out and tools guided safely while wearing a glove. A stiff or thick glove reduces tactile feel and can create new risks, for instance during precise filleting. The choice is always a trade-off between protection level and fingertip feel, judged against the specific task.
TDM Test
The common short name for the cut-resistance method under EN ISO 13997 (see above). Because the straight blade only cuts once, it does not blunt — unlike the Coup Test, which can be inaccurate with very cut-resistant materials. The result is the Newton value, from which levels A to F are derived.
Wet Zone
Work areas with permanently wet surfaces — filleting and cutting-up lines, for instance, or equipment cleaning. Here, tactile feel changes noticeably, and the glove’s grip and material construction matter more than usual. What works in the wet zone is summarised in Hand Protection in Wet Food Processing Environments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cut Protection Terminology
How do I read the numbers and letters in the EN 388 pictogram?
Below the pictogram on the glove is a fixed sequence of test values. Two of them matter for cut protection: a digit from 1 to 5 from the Coup Test, and a letter from A to F from the TDM Test under EN ISO 13997. An X means that particular test was not carried out. With very cut-resistant materials, the letter is the more reliable value, because the blade blunts during the Coup Test and the digit then comes out too low.
Which technical terms do I need for a tender for protective gloves?
At minimum, the test standards EN 388 and EN ISO 13997, the required cut protection level, and, for food contact, food contact compliance. Depending on the application, EN 511 for cold protection or requirements for puncture protection may also apply. All terms are explained individually above.
What else should I pay attention to for gloves with food contact?
In addition to cut protection under EN 388 and EN ISO 13997, food contact compliance under EC 1935/2004 must be in place. It is independent of the cut protection level and is declared separately by the manufacturer.
Need help choosing the right cut- or puncture-resistant gloves for a specific work area? Contact us directly or download our product catalogue.