Safety Gloves for Forestry and Landscaping
Forestry, arboriculture and commercial landscaping work outdoors in all weather with sharp tools and heavy timber. The glove has to grip a wet handle, survive bark and thorns, and still allow a chain to be tensioned or a knot tied without being removed.
Cut from tools
Chainsaw chains, brushcutter blades, secateurs, billhooks and hand saws all cut hands during sharpening, chain changes and clearing. Note that a general cut resistant glove is not chainsaw protection, which is a separate certification using long fibres that jam the sprocket. For everything other than saw contact, a TDM cut letter of C or D is the property required.
Abrasion
Rough bark, mulch, gravel and wire rope drag across the palm continuously, and thorns from blackberry and acacia puncture light gloves. The property required is a high abrasion figure in the first EN 388 position, usually delivered by a leather or heavy synthetic leather palm rather than a thin coating.
Cold & wet
Early starts, dew laden vegetation and winter work in the southern states leave gloves soaked within an hour, and a wet glove loses both warmth and grip. A water resistant construction with an EN 511 rating keeps the hand functional, and rotating a dry pair mid shift makes more difference than extra insulation.
Impact
Dropped rounds, swinging limbs, splitting mauls and winch gear strike the back of the hand. Where felling and processing are the main tasks, a glove with thermoplastic rubber knuckle protection carrying the EN 388 P designation reduces the severity of strikes that a leather back cannot absorb.
What to specify
Specify EN 388:2016+A1:2018 with attention to the abrasion and cut positions, and EN 511 for winter and wet weather work. Where chainsaw operation is involved, chainsaw protective gloves are certified separately and are additional to, not instead of, the standard handling glove.
A practical issue is a leather palmed handling glove for felling, processing and loading, and a lighter coated knit for pruning, planting and fine work where feel matters. Both should be sized so the glove can be removed quickly if it snags.
Recommended gloves
- GRANBERG 540: Ultra-tough cut-resistant gloves with Typhoon® fibre technology. PU coated for precision handling.
- GRANBERG 0995: Economical cut-resistant gloves for assembly work. Typhoon® fibre with polyurethane coating.
- GRANBERG EX 4997W: Cut-resistant waterproof winter gloves with PROTEX™ membrane and ANSI A4 palm.
- GRANBERG 9002: Cut D Impact Hi-Viz™ protective gloves. Durable KR-Grip material in palm and fingers, waterproof, winter lined.
Frequently asked questions
Do cut resistant gloves protect against a chainsaw?
No. A standard EN 388 cut resistant glove is tested against blades under load, not against a moving chain. Chainsaw protective gloves use long loose fibres designed to jam the drive sprocket and are certified under their own standard. Treat them as a separate item of equipment.
What gloves suit arboriculture and climbing work?
Climbers need a leather or synthetic leather palm for rope handling and friction control, sized closely so knots and hardware can be worked without removing the glove. Add abrasion resistance for bark contact and choose a short cuff that will not catch on hardware during ascent.
How do I keep gloves usable in wet conditions?
Choose a water resistant construction and carry a second pair. Once a leather glove is saturated it loses grip and takes a full day to dry, so rotating pairs across the shift keeps hands warmer and safer than any single glove specification can on its own.