Safety glove product attributes

Work gloves are sold on ratings, and the ratings come from two families of standards that are easy to confuse. North American cut levels use the ANSI/ISEA 105 A1 to A9 scale, Europe uses the EN 388 performance code, and older documents still quote a previous ANSI scale with plain numbers. A supplier line that says "cut level 4" could mean any of those, and the difference changes which glove a safety manager can approve.

Construction details matter as much as ratings. Shell material and gauge, coating material and coverage, cuff style and length separate gloves that look identical in a photo. Selling units add another trap: gloves are priced by the pair but shipped in bags, dozens and cases, and GTINs differ at each level. Chemical protection claims, where they exist, depend on specific test chemicals and breakthrough times.

A buyer needs the cut and impact ratings under the standard their program specifies, the coating and grip, the size, and a clear selling unit of measure with its pack quantity. Each rating should be stored with the standard it comes from and traced to the manufacturer's documentation.

The safety gloves attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 10 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Selling UOM / Pack Configuration selling_uom_pack_configuration	Text	Core	12 PR/BG; 12 BG/CS (144 PR/CS)
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	CG-4518-L
GTIN-14 / UPC gtin_14_upc	Identifier	Channel / evidence	10841234545182

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Total Glove Length total_glove_length	Number · mm	Core	248

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Glove Type glove_type	Controlled list	Core	Coated knit glove
Size (Alpha / Numeric) size_alpha_numeric	Controlled list	Core	L (9)
Shell / Liner Material shell_liner_material	Controlled list	Core	HPPE with glass fiber
Shell Gauge shell_gauge	Number · gauge	Core	18
Coating Material coating_material	Controlled list	Core	Foam nitrile
Coating Coverage coating_coverage	Controlled list	Core	Palm and fingers
Cuff Style cuff_style	Controlled list	Core	Knit wrist
ANSI/ISEA 105 Cut Level ansi_isea_105_cut_level	Controlled list	Buyer decision	A4
EN 388:2016+A1:2018 Rating en_388_2016_a1_2018_rating	Text	Buyer decision	4X42C
ANSI/ISEA 138 Impact Level ansi_isea_138_impact_level	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Level 2
Touchscreen Capable touchscreen_capable	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Yes

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
EN ISO 374-1:2016 Type & Chemical Codes en_iso_374_1_2016_type_chemical_codes	Text	Channel / evidence	Type B (JKL)
PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 Category ppe_regulation_eu_2016_425_category	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	Category III
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	Sri Lanka

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Rating Standard Edition
• ANSI/ISEA 105 Needlestick Puncture Level
• Permeation Breakthrough Time by Chemical
• Food Contact Compliance Statement
• Silicone-Free Declaration

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing safety gloves ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is this glove A4 or higher on the current ANSI cut scale?
• Will this glove work with a phone touchscreen?
• Is it priced per pair or per dozen, and how many are in a case?
• Does this glove have back-of-hand impact protection?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ