Gloves built for military, security, fire and rescue use, combining cut and puncture protection with knuckle guards, flame resistant materials and the dexterity needed to handle equipment under pressure.
Tactical and rescue work is unusual because the hazards are unknown until you arrive. The glove has to cover several risks at once without becoming so bulky that equipment cannot be operated. Everything here is a balance rather than a maximum.
Extrication, forced entry, debris clearance and search work all put hands into broken glass, torn metal and unseen sharp edges. Two of the EN 388 positions carry most of the weight here. The TDM letter in position 5 covers straight blade cutting, and the puncture digit in position 4 covers the force needed to push a stylus through the material. Puncture is often the more relevant of the two for rescue, because the injury usually comes from pressing a hand onto something rather than drawing a blade across it. Note that the EN 388 puncture test uses a relatively blunt stylus, so it does not represent fine needles found in waste and search work.
Where fire is a credible part of the task, check the burning behaviour digit of EN 407, which is the first of the six. Level 3 or above is the point at which a meaningful flame claim can be made. Just as important is what the glove is made from. Synthetic shells that are not flame treated can melt onto the skin, which turns a brief flame contact into a far worse injury than the same exposure through leather or aramid.
Moulded guards over the knuckles and finger joints protect against striking hands on structure, falling debris and hands trapped against vehicle bodywork during extrication. Segmented guards over each joint allow the hand to close around a tool or a rail. A single rigid plate resists every grip the wearer makes and will be worked around rather than worked with.
Dexterity here is specific, not general. The relevant test is whether the wearer can perform the actual tasks with the glove on.
Many tactical patterns deliberately use a thinner palm and index finger with heavier protection elsewhere, which is the right compromise for this work.
A glove that is fine on a calm hand can be unusable on a swollen, wet or gloved-over-liner hand at three in the morning. Specify with that in mind.
Decide which hazards are credible for your role, then read the EN 388 code with those in mind. The TDM letter covers straight blade cut and the fourth digit covers puncture, which is often the more relevant of the two for extrication and debris work.
No. The EN 388 puncture test uses a relatively blunt standard stylus, so a high rating does not indicate protection against hypodermic needles or other fine points. Where needlestick is a credible risk, that has to be assessed separately from the EN 388 marking.
Only where fire is a credible part of the task. Where it is, check the first digit of the EN 407 code, since level 3 or above is needed for a meaningful flame claim, and avoid untreated synthetic shells that can melt onto the skin during brief flame contact.
Size on the working hand, allowing for swelling during sustained gripping and in heat. Check that the closure can be adjusted single handed with the other glove already on, and that a wet glove can still be pulled off and refitted.
Send the sizes and quantities you need and we will come back with a written quotation. Contact Knight Safety Gear.