Cut protection classes and their importance

To ensure maximum protection against injuries, when working with your chainsaw, you need products that comply with EC directives. These have certifications and are marked accordingly. The CE seal marks compliance with fundamental health and safety requirements of the European Directive 2016/425.

EN 381 Protection against hand-held chainsaws

The European standard EN381 defines the protective clothing for chain saw users. This standard is divided into different parts (or designs). Each part affects a specific part of the body:

EN 381-5 —  Requirements for leg protection 

EN 381-11 — Requirements for the upper part of the body 

EN 381-7 — Requirements for protective gloves for chainsaw users r

EN 381-9 — Requirements for protective shoes for chainsaw users


The standards are divided into 5 classes that reflect the speed of the chain.

>> Class 0 = 16m/s chain speed

>> Class 1 = 20m/s chain speed

>> Class 2 = 24m/s chain speed

>> Class 3 = 28m/s chain speed

>> Class 4 = 32m/s chain speed

Not all classes are in according to the relevant test standards.

The pictograms are attached to the protective clothing which help you to identify the corresponding class of protection level. The higher the value, the higher the level of protection.

EN 381-5: Leg protection

EN 381-7: Protective gloves

This part specifies the requirements for leg protection and defines three types (or designs) of leg protection, depending on the type of protection:

Form (Type) A

Protective clothing for type A chainsaw users is mainly intended for use in forestry work by professional lumberjacks who have been trained accordingly. Type A (or front protection) covers each leg partially (180 °) with an extra 5 cm to the inner part of the right leg and 5 cm to the outer part of the left leg. The protective insert begins at a max. of 5 cm from the lower hem of the trouser leg and ends 20 cm above the crotch. For types A and B, the protection must be permanently attached to the sides of the protective padding. The fixation of the protection must withstand a force of at least 200N. Class 0 (16 m/sec) cannot be applied to the EN 381-5 standard.


Form (Type) B

Type B is identical to Type A, but has 5 cm of extra protection on the inside of the left leg. For types A and B, the protection must be permanently attached to the sides of the protective padding. The fixation of the protection must withstand a force of at least 200N. Class 0 (16 m/sec) cannot be applied to the EN 381-5 standard.

Form (Type) C

Protective clothing for chain saw users of type C is primarily intended for use by users who do not normally work with chainsaws or who are in extraordinary situations. Type C covers every leg all around (360 °) with a protective insert. The protection begins at a max. of 5 cm from the lower hem of the leg and ends at a min. of 20 cm at the front above the crotch and at the back at a min. of 50 cm below the waistband.
This part specifies the requirements for protective gloves for chainsaw users. It describes 2 designs: Form A and Form B.

Form (Design) A

The standard EN 381-7 Form (Design) A for gloves describes the protective surface on the back of the hand. The protective surface must be at least 110 mm wide and at least 120 mm high (at the highest point, without fingers).

Form (Design) B

The standard EN 381-7 Design B for gloves describes the protective surface on the back of the hand and 4 fingers. The protective surface must be at least 110 mm wide and at least 190 mm high (from the base to the highest point). When buying cut protection gloves, pay attention to whether you need cut protection in both gloves (left and right), as most gloves only have protection in the left glove as a standard, which is sufficient for normal applications.

EN 381-11: Protection for the upper body

EN 381-9: Protective shoes

Standard


With cut protection in the upper body area such as protective jackets, the test standard EN 381-11 defines the protection class for chainsaw users. Unlike the chainsaw trousers, which can have 3 designs, jackets for chainsaw users only have one design that corresponds to the standard. For both the front and the back of the jacket, the standard defines a minimum area of the protective insert on the shoulders, sleeves and chest. On the front of the sleeves, the protective insert must cover at least 80% of the total surface and the unprotected surface of the sleeves must not be more than 70 mm (measured from the sleeve hem).

Standard + abdomen protection


Protective jackets for chainsaw users according to standard EN 381-11 + additional complete protection of the front. You need cut protection jackets with this protection, for example, for use on service platforms (lifting platforms) and for using chainsaws in dangerous working conditions. The concept is basically the same as the standard jacket, but it has additional protection of the abdominal area.
Protective shoes are suitable for use over safety shoes and are certified according to EN ISO 20345. Since safety shoes have a steel toe, there may be a gap in the surface with chainsaw protection, but this must not be larger than 14 mm from the front end of the shoe. The minimum height is 200 mm and the distance to the bottom of the boot may not exceed 25 mm.