Protecting Your Hands from Meat Cutting Mishaps: A Guide to Cut-Resistant Gloves

When you are working with knives, be it in a professional kitchen or a home kitchen, one thing is certain: cuts and injuries are part of the job. Cut-resistant gloves can have a huge impact on cutting down that risk. It’s not just about keeping safe: it’s about making the home kitchen a better place and, for butchers and chefs, an ergonomically sound working experience.

Why Cut-Resistant Gloves Are Essential in the Kitchen

• Preventing Skin-Cutting: Cuts from a sharp knife can be deep and severe, possibly resulting in nerve damage, tendon injury, and even loss of limbs. Cut-resistant gloves provide a physical barrier to skin-cutting.
• Improving Self-Confidence: You are now free to work more confidently and accurately because you no longer need to be concerned about injuring your hands. There is less likelihood of you tensing up and making mistakes because of apprehension or fear.
• Keep It Clean: Cut-resistant gloves can also help to prevent cross-contamination from foodborne pathogens because they serve as a barrier between your hands and raw meat.
• Multi-Tasking: Besides cutting raw meats, the gloves can also be used with other sharps in your kitchen – graters, mandolins, even oyster knives.

Understanding Cut Resistance Levels

The cut resistance of a glove is measured according to the EN 388 standard. This gives gloves a value of either A (the lowest) to F (highest), which is printed on the gloves and packaging. Please note that if you search for gloves online, setting filters will only show the lowest-rated gloves in the search results.

Materials Used in Cut Resistant Gloves

• High-Performance Polyethylene (HPPE): A lightweight and flexible material offering excellent cut resistance.
• Kevlar: A strong synthetic fibre known for its durability and cut resistance.
• Stainless Steel Mesh: Offers the greatest cut resistance but can be less flexible.
• Composite Materials: Different gloves make use of different combinations of materials in order to provide a good balance among protection, comfort, and dexterity.

Choosing the Right Cut Resistant Gloves for You

Consider the following factors when choosing cut-resistant gloves:

• Cut Resistance Level: Choose a level appropriate for your tasks.
• Comfort and Fit: Proper-fitting gloves will fit snugly but allow for a full range of motion.
• Grip: Loose gloves will slip off – try them on and make sure they are snug. Pay special attention to the palms or fingertips, which should be textured for extra grip on slippery surfaces.
• Breathability: If you’re going to be wearing gloves for a long time, you’ll want gloves that are breathable so your hands don’t get sweaty.
• Dexterity: Choose gloves that allow you to maintain dexterity and control while working.

Where to Buy Cut Resistant Gloves in the UK

Cut-resistant gloves are available from various retailers throughout the UK:

• Online Retailers: Amazon, Screwfix, and specialist safety equipment suppliers offer a wide selection.
• Kitchen Supply Stores: Many kitchen stores stock cut-resistant gloves alongside other safety gear.
• KENTMASTER UK: The above will sell you tools but with little industry knowledge or description. If you want information about your purchase, speak with us. We have more industry experience than anyone offering food processing equipment. 

Note: No glove is truly cut-proof. Handling sharp objects carries inherent risks. Cut-resistant gloves should always be used in conjunction with safe work practices.

PPE: Safeguarding Workers and Products in the Food Processing Industry

Working conditions are also dangerous in this industry, as employees are exposed to cutting edges, slippery floors, high temperatures, and harmful substances. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a key protection tool for workers to avoid injury and contamination of food products.

Cut-Resistant Gloves: A Butcher’s Best Friend

Cut-resistant gloves are one of the most important parts of personal protective equipment (PPE) for anyone working with knives or other sharp tools in food, especially those in the meat processing industry. 

Lacerations (cuts) are among the most common injuries in meat-processing facilities, and cut-resistant gloves can dramatically decrease the likelihood of injury. 

Whether deboning salmon fillets, filleting a piece of red meat, trimming around a shoulder tender, or slicing an onion in a bar area, cut-resistant gloves are an important additional layer of protection for your hands.

• Abattoir and Slaughterhouse: High cut-resistant gloves (level D or F) are mandatory to prevent serious injuries since there are sharp knives and chopping machines.
• Butchers and Meat Processing Plants: Cut-resistant gloves are also essential when working with knives and hand saws.
• The Home Kitchen: A meat-loving home cook should have a pair handy for when they do all of their own prep as well, especially when handling big pieces of meat with large boned-out bones or unfamiliar tools.

Bekina Steplite Wellies: A Step Towards Safety and Comfort

The other essential element of the food industry’s PPE is footwear. Bekina Steplite wellies provide the perfect combination of safety, comfort, and hygiene and are suitable for most food processing roles.

• Abattoir and Slaughterhouse: Bekina StepliteX SolidGrip wellies with slip-resistant soles and steel toe caps offer the protection required in these dangerous environments.
• Meat Processing Plant: The hygienic NEOTANE material of Bekina Steplite wellies is easy to clean and disinfect, while the good fit reduces fatigue for long working hours.
• Butcher Shops: Bekina Steplite EasyGrip wellies are easy to slip on and off, which is necessary for a butcher who has to change footwear several times a day. The slip-resistant sole is vital, considering the potential slipperiness of slaughterhouse floors.

Other Essential PPE in the Food Processing Industry

• Hairnets and Beard Nets: Prevent hair from contaminating food products.
• Aprons and Coats: Protect clothing from spills and splashes.
• Safety Glasses: Shield eyes from potential hazards like flying debris or chemical splashes.
• Hearing Protection: Reduce exposure to loud noises in processing plants.
• Hard Hats: Protect heads from falling objects in certain areas of food processing facilities.

Choosing the Right PPE

The specific types of PPE needed and how it’s worn will vary depending on the job at hand and the actual hazards at the workplace. This means that an employer must carry out a risk assessment for the job and can be liable if they do not provide the correct PPE to their employees. Workers should also be trained in the correct use of PPE and in maintaining it, for example, by replacing parts when they’re worn out.

SUMMARY

The Importance of PPE in the UK Food Industry

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates the use of PPE within the UK food industry, ensuring employers provide it to their employees free of charge and it is correctly maintained and used. The food industry can maintain the highest hygiene and safety standards for workers and consumers by cooperating in this way. Now that you know where to buy cut-resistant gloves in the UK, go through our website or contact us for further information.