EN ISO 13997:2024

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-februar-2025
Nadomešča:
SIST EN ISO 13997:2023
Varovalna obleka - Mehanske lastnosti - Ugotavljanje odpornosti proti urezu z
ostrimi predmeti (ISO 13997:2024)
Protective clothing - Mechanical properties - Determination of resistance to cutting by
sharp objects (ISO 13997:2024)
Schutzkleidung - Mechanische Eigenschaften - Bestimmung des Widerstandes gegen
Schnitte mit scharfen Gegenständen (ISO 13997:2024)
Habillement de protection - Propriétés mécaniques - Détermination de la résistance à la
coupure par des objets tranchants (ISO 13997:2024)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 13997:2024
ICS:
13.340.10 Varovalna obleka Protective clothing
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 13997
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2024
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.340.10 Supersedes EN ISO 13997:2023
English Version
Protective clothing - Mechanical properties -
Determination of resistance to cutting by sharp objects
(ISO 13997:2024)
Habillement de protection - Propriétés mécaniques - Schutzkleidung - Mechanische Eigenschaften -
Détermination de la résistance à la coupure par des Bestimmung des Widerstandes gegen Schnitte mit
objets tranchants (ISO 13997:2024) scharfen Gegenständen (ISO 13997:2024)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 19 October 2024.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2024 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 13997:2024 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 13997:2024) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 94 "Personal
safety -- Personal protective equipment" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 162
“Protective clothing including hand and arm protection and lifejackets” the secretariat of which is held
by DIN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2025, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by April 2025.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 13997:2023.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 13997:2024 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 13997:2024 without any modification.

International
Standard
ISO 13997
Third edition
Protective clothing — Mechanical
2024-10
properties — Determination of
resistance to cutting by sharp objects
Habillement de protection — Propriétés mécaniques —
Détermination de la résistance à la coupure par des objets
tranchants
Reference number
ISO 13997:2024(en) © ISO 2024
ISO 13997:2024(en)
© ISO 2024
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO 13997:2024(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Sampling . 2
4.1 General .2
4.2 Textiles and other materials.2
4.3 Gloves .2
4.4 Conditioning.3
5 Test method . 4
5.1 Principle .4
5.2 Test apparatus.5
5.3 Calibration .9
5.3.1 Beam balancing procedure .9
5.3.2 Cutting speed adjustment .9
5.3.3 Validation of blades .9
5.4 Test procedure .10
5.4.1 Specimen mounting .10
5.4.2 Test procedure for measuring the cutting stroke length .11
5.4.3 Test procedure for determining the calculated cutting force .11
5.4.4 Calculations . . 12
6 Test report .12
Annex A (informative) Inter-laboratory test data analysis . 14
Annex B (normative) Calculated cutting force determination .16
Annex C (normative) Testing of the calibration material (see 5.3.3.1).21
Bibliography .22

iii
ISO 13997:2024(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 94, Personal safety — Personal protective
equipment, Subcommittee SC 13, Protective clothing, in collaboration with the European Committee for
Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 162, Protective clothing including hand and arm
protection and lifejackets, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN
(Vienna Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 13997:2023), of which it constitutes a minor
revision.
The main changes are as follows:
— Figure 7 a) was replaced;
— Footnote 2 was moved to the Figure 7 title;
— the Excel file that can be downloaded using the link in the note to Table B.2 was replaced (there was a
correction because in few specific cases Excel did not work as planned).
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
ISO 13997:2024(en)
Introduction
Although textiles, composites, leather, rubbers and reinforced materials may resist cutting by sharp edges
in different ways, a test method for evaluating the resistance to cut of materials in protective clothing
should be applicable to all materials. The test described in this document provides a method that allows
calculations of the downwards (normal) force required to cause a blade drawn across the sample for a fixed
distance to cut through the specimen.
The performance of protective clothing materials may be classified using the numerical values obtained
from this test.
v
International Standard ISO 13997:2024(en)
Protective clothing — Mechanical properties —
Determination of resistance to cutting by sharp objects
1 Scope
This document specifies a tomodynamometer cut test method and related calculations, for use on materials
and assemblies designed for protective clothing, including gloves. The test determines resistance to cutting
by sharp edges, such as knives, sheet metal parts, swarf, glass, bladed tools and castings.
When this document is cited as a test method in a material or product requirement standard, that standard
contains the necessary information to permit the application of this document to the particular product.
This test does not provide data on the resistance to penetration by pointed objects such as needles and
thorns, or the point of sharp-edged blades. The test described in this document is not considered suitable
for testing materials made from chain mail and metal plates. The text of this document does not include
provisions for the safeguard of the operator.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 34-1, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of tear strength — Part 1: Trouser, angle and
crescent test pieces
ISO 37, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of tensile stress-strain properties
ISO 48-4, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of hardness — Part 4: Indentation hardness by
durometer method (Shore hardness)
ISO 2781, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of density
ISO 11610, Protective clothing — Vocabulary
ISO 23388:2018, Protective gloves against mechanical risks
ISO 23529, Rubber — General procedures for preparing and conditioning test pieces for physical test methods
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 11610 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
cut-through
event which has occurred when the blade edge first contacts the conducting material below the test specimen

ISO 13997:2024(en)
3.2
cutting force
calculated force that would be required to be applied to a blade of standard sharpness to cut through a
material in a blade stroke of length 20 mm
3.3
cutting stroke length
distance the cutting-edge travels before cut-through (3.1) occurs
4 Sampling
4.1 General
Unless otherwise specified, specimen dimensions should not be less than 25 mm by 100 mm as this allows
for several cuts on the same sample (see 5.2.4 and 5.2.5). If this specimen size is not possible, the smallest
specimen on which single cuts are made shall not be less than 25 mm by 25 mm.
NOTE The test requires at least 15 cuts therefore at least two specimens are necessary.
4.2 Textiles and other materials
Specimens shall be taken from regions of the sample product representative of the range of construction
present in protective areas or as defined in product requirement standard. In the case of an irregular design,
the test specimen shall be taken from the area where the least protection is expected.
Specimens from textile materials shall be prepared so that test cuts are made at an angle of (45 ± 5)° to the
warp and weft direction as defined in Figure 1. Only one result (cutting force, see 5.4.4.2) shall be reported.
Materials that have no clear orientation shall be tested in two directions at 90° to each other and both
cutting forces (see 5.4.4.2) shall be reported and the final result is the lowest one.
If the material is known to have homogenous properties in all directions, only one result (cutting force see
5.4.4.2) needs to be reported.
NOTE Materials that have no clear orientation are for example, unoriented materials, or those in which the
machine direction either does not exist or is uncertain such as some non-woven.
Dimensions in millimetres
a
Warp or longitudinal direction.
b
Weft or transversal direction.
c
Cut test direction.
Figure 1 — Control specimen dimensions and cut direction for garments
4.3 Gloves
For gloves, take the specimen from the palm area cut on the bias such that the size of the specimen is
adequate but at an angle as close as possible to 45° as shown in Figure 2.

ISO 13997:2024(en)
In the case of an irregular design of the palm, the test specimen shall be taken from the palm area where the
least protection is expected.
If reinforcement(s) does not uniformly cover the palm area, either the specimen shall be taken without
reinforcement or the specimen shall be provided without reinforcement.
If cut protection is claimed for back of the hand or cuff and the materials are different from the palm, they
shall be tested and reported.
NOTE There is no tolerance to the angle for the glove as this depends on the size of the glove and its construction
to take the correct angle that best represents a 45° angle.
Dimensions in millimetres
a
Cut test direction.
Figure 2 — Glove sample and cut direction
4.4 Conditioning
Specimens shall be conditioned as defined in product requirement standard or in the following conditioning
atmosphere:
— Temperature (23 ± 2) °C and relative Humidity (50 ± 5) %.
Alternatively, the following conditioning should be used, and shall be reported in the test report.
— Temperature (20 ± 2) °C and relative Humidity (65 ± 5) %.
The period of conditioning is at least 24 h. Testing shall be carried out in the conditioning environment or
within 30 min of withdrawing the specimens from the conditioning environment.

ISO 13997:2024(en)
5 Test method
5.1 Principle
The cut resistance of a material is its ability to resist being cut-through by a blade. This is measured in a
machine in which a sharp blade is drawn across a specimen. The cuts are achieved in blade movements of
5,0 mm to 50,0 mm length when a range of forces are applied to the blade normal to the specimen surface.
The cut resistance of a sample material is expressed as the cutting force that is required to be applied to
a blade of standard sharpness to just cut through the material in a 20,0 mm blade stroke. The value of the
cutting force may be used to classify materials.
The cut test apparatus consists of the following primary components (see Figure 3): blade holder (key item
1) with a straight line mechanism that holds a blade (key item 2), having a cutting edge (key item 3), a
specimen (key item 5) with a paper sheet (key item 6) and conductive strip (key item 7) and double-sided
adhesive tape(key item 8) mounted to a specimen holder (key item 10) attached to the specimen holder
mount (key item 9) to which the force, F, is applied.
Key
1 blade holder 7 conductive strip
2 blade 8 double-sided adhesive tape
3 cutting edge of blade 9 specimen holder mount
4 specimen securing clamp (optional) 10 specimen holder
5 specimen F applied force
a
6 paper sheet Cut direction.
Figure 3 — Schematic of the cutting part of a cut test apparatus
Any apparatus can be used that can maintain a constant force between the cutting edge and the specimen
and can accurately measure the distance the blade travels to cut through the specimen. The testing apparatus
shall also allow the test to be performed in the conditions specified in the test method, for instance in terms
of displacement rate of the blade and geometry of the specimen holder (see 5.2).
The test apparatus may have limitations in testing materials with a thickness greater than 12 mm (see 5.2.7).
When using the specimen securing clamp (key item 4), the maximum thickness may be less than that (see 5.2.5).
NOTE For each of the required measurements performed in accordance with this document, a corresponding
estimate of the uncertainty of measurement is evaluated. One of the following approaches is used:
[2]
— a statistical method, e.g. that given in ISO 5725-2 ;

ISO 13997:2024(en)
[3]
— a mathematical method, e.g. that given in ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 ;
[4]
— uncertainty and conformity assessment as given in ISO/IEC Guide 98-4 ;
[5]
— JCGM 100:2008 .
5.2 Test apparatus
The apparatus shall have the following components (see Figure 4 for the general aspect of the cut testing
device).
Key
1 motor and gearhead 5 specimen holder and specimen 9 calibration weights
securing clamp
2 slide system 6 beam 10 loading/unloading handle
3 blade support/clamp 7 controller keypad with distance meter 11 level indicator
mechanism
4 blade 8 loading device 12 specimen holder mount
1)
Figure 4 — Example of apparatus
1)  An apparatus known as the tomodynamometer embodying these principles is available from a number of suppliers
such as: (1) TDM-100 from RGI Industrial Products, Inc., 755 Pierre Caisse, St-Jean-sur Richelieu, Quebec, Canada J3B
7Y5 (www .rgicanada .com), (2) STM610 from SATRA, Wyndham Way, Telford Way, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN16
8SD, United Kingdom (www .satra .com), (3) LINEAR CUT RESISTANCE TESTER 3394B from Mesdan, Via Masserino, 6 -
25080 Puegnago del Garda (BS) Italy (www .saviotechnologies .com), and (4) PROCOUPE from EMI Developpement, Rue
Alexandre Yersin, Zone Artisanale Coulmet, 10450 Breviandes France (www .emi -developpement .com). This information
is given for the convenience of user of this International Standard and does not constitute an endorsement by ISO of this
product. Equivalent products may be used if they can be shown to lead to the same results.

ISO 13997:2024(en)
Keep the instrument free of dust and fibres. Don’t let lint accumulate on the guide rails and sharps.
5.2.1 Rigid framework.
Rigid framework that supports the constituent parts when a force of up to 200 N is exerted between the
cutting edge and the specimen.
5.2.2 Force application system.
Force application system to move the specimen holder towards the blade, or the blade towards the specimen
holder during operation of the machine such that the force between the cutting edge and the specimen is
constant ±5 %.
The force shall be variable between 1,0 N and 200 N. The force may be applied to the blade holder or to the
specimen holder.
5.2.3 Specimen holder mount.
The specimen holder mount is the part of the apparatus to which the specimen holder is fitted and allows it
to be positioned for the execution of the cut test.
5.2.4 Specimen holder.
Specimen holder, with surface made of metal on which the specimen is mounted. The specimen mounting
area shall be curved with a radius of (38 ± 0,5) mm. The length of
...