Cut-Resistant Standards

All forms of ice skating, including hockey involve a certain level of risk from injury. These injuries sometimes include lacerations caused by skate blades and often occur from the result of collisions. Taking precautions to reduce the risk of injury is the best measure to protect oneself as accidents will, and do, happen. Hogan Hockey cut-resistant products meet and exceed the International Skating Unions (ISU) required standard of cut protection according to the ISU Communication no.1265 for cut-resistant clothing in Short Track Speed Skating. With the exception of the ISU ruling, and BNQ certification (neck guards in Canada) there are no other recognized standards for these types of products. This communication is based on 2004 ISU special regulations for Short Track Speed Skating, and will apply to all ISU events and the Olympic Winter games effective July 25/2004. Also the ISU strongly recommends that cut-resistant clothing/uniforms be worn at all ISU sanctioned events.

These are a few excerpts from the ISU Communication no. 1265:

The ISU has commissioned a study of fabric standards for competition clothing/uniforms for Short Track Speed Skating including a medical assessment. In order to determine the suitability of competition clothing/uniforms materials for Short Track Speed Skating, tests were carried out to simulate the effect of extreme falls and determine the quality of materials. Through statistical and error analysis, the results from these tests have been correlated with test results using the same materials under international standard EN 388 (The widely recognized standard will be familiar to clothing manufacturers) using the test data, an equation has been determined which makes it possible to test a material according to standard EN 388, and then calculate its suitability for Short Track Speed Skating. The cut-resistant material used in protective clothing according to this ISU communication must meet as a minimum requirement the level 2 standard according to EN 388 in a cut-resistant test (resistance to cutting by sharp objects). Cut-resistant protection may be integrated in the actual competition uniforms, or be worn as special underwear. Short Track Speed Skating is regulated by the ISU and at the international level disqualification will result if the suits that are worn do not conform to the required standards set out by Communication no. 1265. We hope that you find the above information helpful.

Hogan Hockey Inc. Management

All Hogan Hockey ACHILLES™ products are cut-resistant and not cut-proof, they are intended to be worn for hockey only. Read the safety warnings accompanied with all products before using.