Choose work gloves by matching the glove to the hazard, not the job title. Use ANSI/ISEA 105 cut levels A1 to A9 for cut risk, ANSI/ISEA 138 levels 1 to 3 for impact, leather for welding, nitrile for chemicals, and insulated pairs for cold, then confirm the fit before anyone works a shift.
That is the short version of how we match hand protection to jobs at CACO America. This guide is the long version, organized the way buyers actually shop: by the work and the hazard inside it.
I have spent more than thirty years in this trade. I joined our family business in 1992, and today Caco Abbo Group holds the exclusive General Electric (GE) PPE license across the Americas and the Caribbean, plus the first license for WD-40 microfiber towels, reaching more than thirty-eight countries. Gloves are the SKU I get asked about most, because everyone needs them and almost nobody specs them correctly.
Start with the hazard, not the glove
OSHA's hand protection rule, 29 CFR 1910.138, requires employers to provide appropriate hand protection when hands are exposed to hazards such as severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, harmful temperature extremes, and skin absorption of harmful substances. The same rule says selection must be based on the task, the conditions, the duration of use, and the hazards identified.
Two more numbers frame why this matters. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 5,070 fatal work injuries in 2024, a rate of 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, and private industry reported 888,100 injury and illness cases involving days away from work that same year. NIOSH's hierarchy of controls puts PPE last for a reason: gloves are the final layer after elimination, substitution, and engineering controls, so the pair you pick has to be right.
General handling and warehouse work
For box handling, picking, assembly, and light material moves, the workhorse is a synthetic knit glove with a nitrile coating on the palm. The knit shell keeps dexterity high, and the grip coating handles dry and slightly oily surfaces without turning the glove into a mitten. This is also where abrasion resistance earns its keep, since cardboard and pallet wood sand a bare palm raw by lunch.
What to look for: an ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level of A1 or A2 is usually enough here, along with the abrasion level printed on the spec sheet. Touchscreen compatibility matters more than most buyers expect, because a worker who has to pull a glove off to scan a device will eventually leave it off. Stock a general purpose glove with a coated palm and a snug knit wrist, and this category runs itself.
Mechanical and impact work
Mechanics, riggers, and oil and gas crews take a different kind of hit: pinch points, dropped parts, and knuckles driven into steel. That is back-of-hand trauma, and the standard that grades it is ANSI/ISEA 138, which sets testing, classification, and labeling requirements for back-of-hand impact protection across three performance levels, marked 1, 2, or 3 on the glove.
The glove family here is the mechanics style: a synthetic palm, a stretch back, and molded bumpers over the knuckles and fingers. Level 1 suits general mechanical work, while levels 2 and 3 belong on demolition, drilling, and heavy rigging. Carry mechanics gloves for the everyday work and a dedicated impact-resistant line for crews who cite a level number when they order, because more of them do every year.
Cut hazards: glass, sheet metal, and demolition
Cut protection has its own scale, worth learning once. ANSI/ISEA 105 classifies cut resistance from A1 to A9. Levels A1 to A3 cover minor scrape-and-nick exposure, A4 to A6 protect against cuts that would otherwise need stitches, and A7 to A9 are for severe cut hazards like plate glass and heavy sheet metal. The same standard also rates puncture resistance, which matters for anyone handling banding, wire, or scrap.
Construction gloves for framing and general site work usually land at A2 to A4, while glaziers and metal fabricators should start at A4 and go up. If your spec sheets come from Europe, you will see EN 388, the European standard for protective gloves against mechanical risks, which covers abrasion, cut, tear, and puncture on a separate scale. Stock a cut-resistant range that spans the scale rather than clustering in the middle.
Welding and heat
Welding is the one category where tradition still gets the spec right: leather. A welding gauntlet uses thick split leather, a full lining, and an extended cuff that protects the wrist and forearm from sparks and spatter. MIG and stick welders need that heavier build, while TIG welders trade some heat protection for a thinner goatskin glove that preserves finger dexterity on the torch.
Heat resistance is rated by the manufacturer against the specific process, so read the spec rather than assuming all leather performs alike. For hot work that is not welding, grinding or handling hot castings, a heavy duty leather work glove with a liner covers most exposures. Keep a dedicated welding glove selection in both gauntlet and TIG weights, because a welder who burns a wrist in a short cuff does not buy that glove twice.
Chemical and wet work
When the hazard is a liquid, the knit glove leaves the conversation. OSHA's 1910.138 list names chemical burns and skin absorption of harmful substances directly, and the answer is an unsupported nitrile glove or another chemical-resistant material with no fabric shell for liquid to wick through.
The rule of this category: match the glove material to the specific chemical using the manufacturer's permeation data, because no single material resists everything. Nitrile handles oils, fuels, and many solvents well. Thickness and cuff length matter next, since immersion work needs a longer gauntlet than splash exposure. For wet-but-not-chemical work, a flock-lined nitrile glove adds comfort for full shifts. Replace chemical gloves on the schedule the permeation data supports, not when they look worn, because breakthrough happens before damage shows.
Cold and outdoor work
Winter jobsites punish hands twice: cold stiffens fingers, and stiff fingers drop things. The fix is an insulated glove that still grips. For material handling in the cold, a thermal-lined coated knit keeps the dexterity of a work glove while adding warmth, and the grip coating matters even more because wet, cold surfaces are slick. For equipment operators and outdoor trades, an insulated leather glove trades a little feel for more wind and wear protection.
Fit deserves extra attention in this category. A glove that is too tight compresses the insulation and makes hands colder, not warmer. Sizing up half a size for lined gloves is the practical rule. Waterproof membranes are worth stocking for freezer work and wet winter sites, since insulation that soaks through stops insulating.
Match the job to the glove: quick reference
| Job or Task | Typical Hazard | Recommended Glove Type | Rating to Look For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse, Assembly & General Handling | Abrasion, light cuts | Nitrile-coated synthetic knit gloves | ANSI/ISEA 105 Cut Level A1–A2 with abrasion rating |
| Mechanical Work, Rigging & Oil/Gas | Back-of-hand impact, pinch points | Mechanics gloves with impact protection | ANSI/ISEA 138 Impact Level 1–3 |
| Glass Handling, Sheet Metal & Demolition | Severe cuts, punctures | Cut-resistant coated knit gloves | ANSI/ISEA 105 Cut Level A4–A9 with puncture rating |
| Welding & Hot Work | Heat, sparks, molten spatter | Leather gauntlet (MIG/Stick) or goatskin (TIG) | Manufacturer heat resistance specification and appropriate cuff length |
| Chemical & Wet Work | Chemical exposure, liquid absorption | Unsupported chemical-resistant nitrile gloves | Chemical permeation data for the specific substance |
| Cold Weather & Outdoor Work | Cold temperatures, moisture, reduced grip | Insulated coated knit or lined leather gloves | Thermal lining with enhanced grip coating |
Sizing and fit: the rule that changed in 2025
Fit is now regulation, not preference. OSHA's construction PPE rule, 29 CFR 1926.95(c), requires that PPE be "selected to ensure that it properly fits each affected employee," language that took effect on January 13, 2025. A glove that fits poorly is not a small problem: loose fingertips snag in moving parts, and a tight palm kills dexterity and gets the glove left in a pocket.
Sizing is simple to do and constantly skipped. Measure around the knuckles of the dominant hand, compare against the maker's size chart, and try the glove on a closed fist. Buyers should treat work gloves for men and work gloves for women as a real size question, not marketing. Women's-fit gloves are cut narrower in the palm with shorter fingers, and a crew that includes women needs sizes that fit them, which the smallest unisex size frequently does not.
Care, laundering, and replacement
The best work gloves fail early when nobody maintains them. Most coated knit gloves tolerate laundering, and a washed glove grips better than one stiff with oil, so check the manufacturer's care guidance and build a wash cycle into the program. Leather wants the opposite: keep it dry, let soaked gloves air dry away from heat, and never machine wash them.
There is no fixed replacement interval in the OSHA rule. Instead, 1910.138 makes duration of use part of selection, and the practical cadence is condition-based. Retire a glove when the coating wears through, when cut-resistant yarns show broken strands, when leather cracks or hardens, or when a chemical glove reaches the exposure limit in its permeation data. A written inspect-and-replace habit costs minutes and keeps the rating you paid for.
"A glove with the coating worn off is not a work glove anymore, it is a souvenir. If your crew is proud of how destroyed their gloves are, your replacement program failed a long time ago."
Joel Abbo, CEO, Caco Abbo Group
For distributors: how to stock work gloves
Gloves are the highest-frequency reorder in PPE, which makes them the anchor of a distribution account. Stock them in three dimensions. First, cover the ratings: a cut range that runs A2 to A6 at minimum, impact levels 1 to 3, and a chemical nitrile line. Second, cover the sizes, small through 2XL plus women's fit, because the account that cannot outfit its whole crew from your shelf calls someone else. Third, bundle: gloves attach naturally to the top five product categories buyers reorder, and a glove-plus-eyewear-plus-hi-vis order is one purchase order instead of three.
Provenance closes deals in a market full of unbranded imports, a problem we covered in our guide to sourcing safety gear in a crowded market. Carrying a licensed line like GE PPE gives your buyers a name their safety managers already trust, with the documentation to back the rating on the label.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the best work gloves for construction?
Most construction tasks are covered by a coated knit glove at ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level A2 to A4, which balances cut protection with dexterity. Move up to A4 or higher for concrete form work, rebar, and demolition, and add ANSI/ISEA 138 impact protection for crews working around heavy material and pinch points.
2. What do ANSI/ISEA 105 cut levels A1 to A9 mean?
The scale grades cut resistance from lowest to highest. A1 to A3 handle minor scrape and nick exposure, A4 to A6 protect against lacerations that would otherwise need stitches, and A7 to A9 address severe cut hazards such as plate glass and heavy sheet metal. The level appears on the glove's marking, so buyers can match it to the hazard directly.
3. What is the difference between EN 388 and ANSI/ISEA 105?
ANSI/ISEA 105 is the North American standard for hand protection classification, with cut levels A1 to A9 plus abrasion and puncture ratings. EN 388 is the European standard for protective gloves against mechanical risks, rating abrasion, cut, tear, and puncture on its own scales. Many gloves carry both markings, and a distributor serving import-heavy accounts should be able to read either label.
4. How do I find my work glove size?
Measure around your dominant hand at the knuckles, excluding the thumb, and compare the measurement to the manufacturer's size chart. Then confirm with a fit test: make a closed fist and check for tightness across the palm and loose material at the fingertips. Under OSHA 1926.95(c), construction employers must select PPE that properly fits each employee, so guessing is no longer acceptable.
5. Are there work gloves made for women?
Yes, and they are a fit category, not a color choice. Women's-fit work gloves are cut narrower through the palm with proportionally shorter fingers. A small unisex glove often fits neither measurement, which leaves loose fingertip material that snags and reduces grip. Crews with women on them should stock true women's sizing alongside the standard run.
6. How often should work gloves be replaced?
OSHA sets no fixed interval, so replacement is condition-based. Retire coated gloves when the palm coating wears through, cut-resistant gloves when yarns fray or break, leather when it cracks or stiffens, and chemical gloves per the permeation data even if they look fine. Inspect at the start of each shift and replace on damage, not on a calendar.
7. Do heavy duty work gloves reduce dexterity?
Heavier protection usually costs some feel, but the gap has narrowed. Modern high-strength yarns reach cut levels A4 to A6 in shells thin enough for parts handling, and impact gloves put their bulk on the back of the hand where it does not block grip. Buy the rating the hazard requires first, then choose the thinnest glove that carries it.
Stock the glove wall your accounts reorder from
Every jobsite hazard in this guide maps to a glove CACO America already carries, from coated knit and cut-resistant styles to mechanics, welding, and nitrile lines, with the ANSI/ISEA ratings and documentation industrial buyers ask for. If you distribute PPE, browse the full catalog and talk to us about distributor pricing. We will help you build a glove program your accounts reorder from without a second call.
