XPRO SAFETY FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Industrial PPE, Safety Equipment & Protective Gear
For safety managers and buyers — every question on this page is answered and organised by category.
General PPE questions
The questions safety managers and buyers ask before narrowing down to a specific product category.
What is PPE and why is it important?
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is safety equipment designed to reduce exposure to workplace hazards that can cause injury or illness. PPE includes gloves, safety shoes, helmets, protective clothing, face shields, respirators, and specialized protective equipment.The correct PPE does not remove the hazard but creates a protective barrier between the worker and the danger.
How do I know which PPE category applies to my workplace?
Start with a hazard assessment of the tasks your team actually performs, covering cut, impact, heat, chemical, electrical and foot hazards. The assessment maps each identified hazard to the relevant category on this page, so the category you buy from follows the hazard rather than the other way round.
What do the protection standards and ratings on PPE mean?
PPE is rated against published standards, and the rating printed on the label tells you which hazard class the item was tested for. Match that rating to the hazard your assessment identified — an item rated for one hazard class is not automatically suitable for another.
How often should PPE be inspected or replaced?
Inspect before every use, and replace the item at any sign of damage — cuts, cracking, stiffness, worn grip or a compromised coating. Follow the manufacturer's stated service life as the outer limit, and retire anything that has taken a direct hit even if it still looks intact.
Can PPE be shared between workers?
No — items fitted to a person, such as gloves, footwear and FR garments, should be issued individually. Shared fit is rarely the right fit, and a garment that has been worn by someone else may already be compromised without showing it.
Do you supply in bulk for a whole team?
Yes — bulk ordering is available for teams, and we can help you size a mixed order across categories. Use the contact option at the foot of this page to tell us the roles, headcount and hazards, and we will come back with a recommendation.
How do I know which safety rating I need?
Safety ratings depend on the task and industry requirements.
Common PPE ratings include:
EN388 – Mechanical risks such as abrasion, cut, tear, puncture, and impact
EN407 – Heat and flame protection
EN511 – Cold protection
EN374 – Chemical protection
ANSI/ISEA 105 – Hand protection performance levels
NFPA 70E – Electrical arc flash protection
ASTM standards – Specific industrial protection requirements
What does the cut level on a glove actually mean?
Cut resistance is graded on a published scale, so the letter or number on the glove is a rating, not a promise. A higher grade resists a sharper, heavier blade for longer before the blade gets through. Match the grade to the sharpest thing your hands actually touch, not to the average.
Which cut level do I need for my task?
The required cut level depends on the sharpness of the material and the force involved.
Lower cut levels may suit light assembly work, while higher protection levels are required for:
• Glass handling
• Metal fabrication
• Automotive manufacturing
• Sheet metal work
• Blade handling
A higher cut rating does not always mean better performance because dexterity, grip, and comfort must also match the application.
Are cut-resistant gloves completely cut-proof?
No. Cut-resistant gloves are designed to reduce the risk and severity of cuts, but no glove is completely cut-proof.
The correct glove should be selected based on the hazard, cutting force, and workplace conditions.
Are cut-resistant gloves safe for food handling?
Some cut-resistant gloves are designed specifically for food applications using approved materials and coatings.
Always verify that the glove is suitable for:
• Food contact
• Cleaning requirements
• Temperature conditions
• Local regulations
How do I choose the right size?
Measure around the widest part of your palm, just below the knuckles, and compare that circumference to the size chart. A snug fit is required — a glove that slides around costs you grip and dexterity, and a loose cuff can catch. If you are between sizes, size up for a thicker liner and down for bare-hand feel.
Will a cut-resistant glove still let me grip small parts?
Yes — coated palms and knit linings are built to preserve dexterity, and most people handle small fasteners in them without taking them off. The real limitation is thickness: a thicker glove trades some feel for protection. If your task needs both, pick a thinner coated style for the fine work and keep the heavy pair for the sharp work.
How long does a cut-resistant glove last?
Replace it at the first cut, hole, or worn-through coating — the protection is in the intact shell and coating, not in the fabric that is left. Inspect before each shift, and retire the pair immediately if you can see the liner through the palm. Service life depends on the task, so treat wear, not the calendar, as the trigger.
Can I wash cut-resistant gloves?
Yes — hand-wash them in mild detergent and air-dry them. Machine drying degrades the coating, so keep them out of the dryer even when the wash was gentle. Wash them when the grip feels slick rather than on a fixed schedule.
Cut Resistant Gloves FAQs
Straight answers on cut levels, sizing, grip and care before you commit to a pair.
Impact Resistant Gloves FAQs
What dorsal impact protection actually guards, and what it costs you in feel.
What is an impact-resistant glove protecting against?
The back of your hand and your knuckles. The dorsal guard sits over the back of the hand and the finger joints, and it is there for two separate hazards: struck-by impact — something swinging, dropping or slipping loose and hitting the back of the hand — and pinching, where the hand is caught between a load and a hard edge. The palm side is a different question entirely; impact protection is about the side of the hand you cannot see while you are working.
Does the impact padding reduce my grip or dexterity?
Yes — padding adds bulk, and you will feel less through the glove than you would in an unpadded pair. That is the trade you are making, and it is worth making when the hazard is impact rather than fine assembly. Practically: if you are trading dexterity for protection, size accordingly — a glove that is already snug becomes tight once the guard is over your knuckles, so go up a size rather than forcing the fit. Expect a short break-in period while the guard softens to the shape of your hand; it does not stay board-stiff.
Are impact gloves also cut resistant?
Often, yes — but not automatically. Many impact styles pair a dorsal guard with a cut-rated palm, so the same glove carries both properties. The important part is that they are two separate ratings, stated separately: the impact rating describes the dorsal guard, and the cut rating describes the palm and liner. A glove can be strong on one and modest on the other, so check both lines on the spec rather than assuming one implies the other.
Which tasks call for impact protection?
Handling heavy components, rigging, and work around moving machinery. Those are the situations where the bulk earns its place: a load that can shift, a sling or chain under tension, a part that can swing back at you, or a hand working near something that moves on its own. If your day is mostly fine handling with nothing that can strike the back of the hand, a lighter cut-resistant glove will serve you better.
How do I care for impact gloves?
Wipe the guard clean, hand-wash the liner, then air-dry. In order: wipe the dorsal guard with a damp cloth to clear grit and oil before it works into the seams; hand-wash the liner in cool water with a mild soap rather than putting the glove through a machine; and air-dry away from direct heat, since a hot radiator or dryer will harden the guard and shrink the liner. Retire the glove if the guard cracks — a cracked guard no longer spreads an impact, and that is the one failure you cannot see from the outside. This is ordinary care guidance, not a published store procedure.
What is the difference between TIG and general welding gloves?
TIG gloves are cut thinner so you can feel the filler rod through the leather; general welding gloves are built heavier for stick and MIG work. The thinner palm and closer seams on a TIG glove are what let you feed wire by touch, while a stick or MIG glove adds a thicker palm, a longer cuff and more insulation because you are working with heavier spatter and hotter arc time rather than fine control.
What are the gloves made from?
Leather bodies with heat-resistant stitching and linings made for welding service. The body is a leather shell — the grade and thickness vary by model — and the seams are stitched with heat-resistant thread so they do not fail at the first hot contact. The lining sits between your hand and the leather to add insulation and to wick away sweat during long passes.
How much heat can a welding glove take?
It is rated for contact heat and spatter, not for holding an open flame. The glove is designed to shrug off sparks, hot metal you brush against and brief contact with hot workpieces; sustained contact with a hot surface or direct flame will shorten its life and eventually burn through. Treat the rating as a limit on brief contact, not a licence to grip something that is still glowing.
Should I size up for welding gloves?
Size for the job: snug for TIG, slightly roomier for heavy welding. A snug fit gives you the dexterity to feel and feed the filler rod on TIG work, while a slightly roomier fit on stick, MIG or heavy welding leaves enough slack to pull the glove off quickly if it gets hot. If you are between sizes and doing heavy work, take the larger one.
How do I store welding gloves between shifts?
Hang them or lay them flat, away from oil and direct heat, and check the stitching before you put them back on. Oil breaks down leather, direct heat dries and cracks it, and a crushed or folded glove keeps the shape of the fold. Before each shift, look along the seams and the palm for split stitching or a worn-through spot — a glove that fails mid-weld is worse than one you replace early.
Welding Gloves FAQs
The material, fit and heat questions buyers ask most before choosing a TIG or heavy-duty welding glove.
Heat & Molten Metal Protection
Aluminized and high-temperature apparel for foundry, furnace and molten metal work — the questions buyers ask before they specify.
What is aluminized apparel used for?
It reflects radiant heat, sheds molten metal splash, and is worn for foundry and furnace work. The aluminized surface bounces radiant energy away from the wearer instead of absorbing it, which is why it is specified wherever a worker faces an open heat source rather than just ambient warmth.
What is the difference between approach suits and entry suits?
Approach garments resist radiant heat at a distance — you wear them while working near a heat source, not inside it. Entry garments are built for closer, higher-exposure work, where the wearer moves into the hazard zone and needs more coverage, more layers and a higher level of protection.
How do I choose between a jacket, a full suit, and separate leggings?
Match the garment to the area exposed. A jacket covers upper-body-only exposure — arms, shoulders and torso. A full suit covers the whole body when the hazard surrounds the wearer. Separate leggings cover lower-body-only exposure, so you are not buying coverage you do not need.
Can aluminized garments be repaired?
No. A damaged aluminized surface should be retired, not patched. A repaired panel no longer reflects heat uniformly, so the wearer gets uneven protection exactly where the garment was already compromised. Take it out of service.
How should high-temp garments be stored?
Hang them, away from moisture and oil. Inspect the aluminized surface for cracking or flaking before each use — a surface that has started to break down will not reflect heat the way it did when new.
Do these garments need a base layer?
Yes — a flame-resistant base layer is worn underneath. Do not wear ordinary synthetic clothing beneath FR outerwear: synthetics can melt against the skin under heat exposure, which is the opposite of what the outer garment is there to prevent.
Chemical Resistant Gloves FAQs
What buyers ask before specifying a chemical-resistant glove — material matching, breakthrough time, thickness, reuse and disposal.
How do I match a glove material to a chemical?
Match it from a chemical-resistance chart for the specific substance you are handling — the chart lists which glove materials are rated for that chemical and for how long. No single glove resists every chemical, so a material that performs well against one substance can offer little protection against another. Identify the chemical first, then pick the material the chart rates for it.
What is breakthrough time?
Breakthrough time is the time a chemical takes to pass through the glove material and reach the inside of the glove. It is measured per material and per chemical, so the same glove can have a long breakthrough time against one substance and a short one against another. Replace the glove well within its breakthrough time — a glove left on past that point is no longer protecting your hand.
Are thicker gloves always better for chemicals?
No — thicker is not automatically better. A thicker glove extends breakthrough time, which gives you a longer working window against the chemical. The trade-off is dexterity and grip: a heavier glove is harder to work in, and a glove you cannot handle tools in safely is its own hazard. Choose the thickness that covers your exposure time while still letting you do the job.
Can chemical gloves be reused?
Yes — they can be reused if they are undamaged and cleaned after use. Check for cuts, punctures, swelling or stiffness before putting them back on, since any of those means the barrier is compromised. Discard the glove after any splash of a substance outside its rated list: once it has been exposed to a chemical it is not rated for, its protection can no longer be assumed.
How should chemical gloves be stored and disposed of?
Store them away from sunlight and heat — UV and high temperatures degrade glove materials over time, even when the gloves are not in use. Keep them clean, dry and out of the way of chemical vapours between shifts. Dispose of contaminated gloves according to your site's hazardous-waste rules, since a glove that has absorbed a chemical is itself a waste stream and should not go in general refuse.
What is an arc flash rating?
An arc rating is a published incident-energy value — the amount of heat energy a garment can take before the fabric breaks open. The garment you wear must be rated at or above the incident energy calculated for the task you are doing. If the calculated exposure is higher than the garment's rating, that garment is not adequate for the job, no matter how heavy it feels.
What is the difference between arc-rated and flame-resistant?
All arc-rated garments are flame resistant, but not every flame-resistant garment carries an arc rating. Flame-resistant means the fabric self-extinguishes and will not keep burning. Arc-rated means the garment has been tested and given a published incident-energy number. A flame-resistant shirt with no arc rating is not a substitute for arc-rated clothing on an electrical task.
Can I wear arc-rated clothing over ordinary workwear?
Yes, but only over non-melting layers. Anything worn beneath an arc-rated garment has to be made of a material that will not melt and stick to skin under heat — cotton or another non-melting fabric. Do not wear synthetic base layers, polyester blends or synthetic athletic wear underneath. If a synthetic layer melts against your skin, the arc-rated outer layer cannot protect you from it.
Do arc-rated garments need to be laundered differently?
Wash them according to the care label on the garment. Do not use fabric softener or bleach — softener leaves a residue that can affect the fabric's performance and bleach degrades it. If a garment becomes contaminated with a flammable substance such as oil, grease or solvent, retire it rather than trying to wash it back into service.
How do I know when an arc-rated garment is worn out?
Retire it as soon as you see holes, thinning fabric, exposed hardware or contamination. Any of those four means the garment can no longer be relied on to hold up under an arc. Inspect before each use, and take the garment out of service the moment one of those conditions appears — a repair or a patch does not restore the rating.
Electrical & Arc Flash PPE
Ratings and layering, answered before you buy.
FR clothing: layering, laundering and compliance
The questions safety managers ask before a flame-resistant programme goes out to the crew.
What makes clothing flame resistant?
The fabric itself either will not burn or is treated so it stops burning. FR fabrics are either inherently non-flammable or durably treated, and both self-extinguish rather than continue to burn — the garment removes itself as fuel instead of feeding the flame.
Can FR clothing be washed at home?
Yes — home laundering is possible when the care label allows it. That said, industrial laundering keeps the programme consistent and traceable: every garment in the crew is washed the same way, to the same cycle, with a record of it. If you are running a programme across a site, industrial laundering is the route that holds up in an audit.
What should I never wear under FR clothing?
Never wear synthetic base layers underneath — polyester, nylon, polypropylene and similar synthetics. They can melt against the skin under heat, and molten fabric stuck to skin turns a survivable flash into a serious burn. Wear natural-fibre or FR-rated base layers instead.
Does FR protection wash out?
It depends on the fabric. Inherently FR fabrics do not lose their protection — the flame resistance is a property of the fibre itself. Treated fabrics do lose it over time, so treated garments must be laundered per the care label to preserve the finish. Follow the label on the garment, not a general rule.
How do I size FR garments for layering?
Size so the garment fits over the required base layer without pulling across the shoulders. If it pulls when you reach forward or cross your arms, it is too small for the layer underneath — go up a size rather than dropping the base layer.
When should an FR garment be removed from service?
Remove it from service when you find holes, thinning fabric, heavy soiling with flammable substances, or failed hardware such as a broken zip, snap or closure. Any one of those is enough — the garment is no longer doing the job it was issued for. Inspect before each issue and after each wash cycle.
What do the safety toe ratings mean?
A toe cap is rated by the impact and compression it can withstand — how much force it takes from a falling object, and how much weight it holds up under a rolling load. The label on the boot states which class it meets, so the rating you need is the one printed on the footwear you are buying, not a general figure. Match that class to the hazards on your site: heavier falling-object risk and vehicle traffic call for a higher class, while light assembly work is usually served by the entry class.
Steel, composite or aluminium toe — which should I choose?
It depends on your site, because each material trades one advantage for another. Steel is the most durable and usually the least expensive, but it is the heaviest and it conducts cold and heat, so it is a poor fit for cold stores or hot work — and it will set off a walk-through metal detector. Composite is lighter and does not conduct temperature or trigger metal detectors, which suits cold rooms, electrical work and secure sites, though the cap is bulkier and typically costs more. Aluminium sits between the two: lighter than steel and a good conductor of cold, so it is comfortable in mild conditions but a poor choice where heat or cold transfer matters.
How do I get the right fit in a safety boot?
Fit at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest — a boot that feels right in the morning can pinch by the afternoon. Then run two checks. First, the toe box: you should be able to wiggle your toes freely without your foot sliding forward, since a cramped toe box is what causes most safety-boot discomfort. Second, heel lock: lace up and walk a few steps — your heel should stay seated at the back with no lift or slip. If the heel lifts or the toes touch the front, try the next size or a different width before you commit.
What sole should I choose for my site?
Match the sole to the surface and the hazard, because slip resistance, puncture resistance and electrical-hazard protection are three separate ratings — a boot can carry one without the others. Slip resistance is about the tread compound and pattern against your actual floor: wet, oily, or loose ground each behaves differently. Puncture resistance is a plate in the sole that stops nails and sharp debris from coming up through the bottom, which matters on demolition, roofing and site-clearance work. Electrical-hazard soles insulate the foot from the ground and are for work near live circuits. Read the label for the ratings your boot actually carries rather than assuming one covers all three.
How often should safety footwear be replaced?
Replace them as soon as the protection fails, not on a fixed calendar. Three signs mean it is time: the sole is worn through or the tread pattern has flattened, the toe cap is exposed or cracked, or the upper no longer holds and supports your foot. Any one of those is enough — a worn sole loses its grip and its puncture protection, and an exposed cap no longer takes an impact. Check your boots regularly and retire them at the first of these signs rather than waiting for a set interval.
Safety shoes & boots
Toe ratings, sole choice and fit — the three questions that decide whether a safety boot works on your site.