Glove Quality Testing

HAND PROTECTION – PPE EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE & STANDARDS

PPE European directive 89/686/EEC

This standard sets the minimum basic health & safety requirements which PPE items need to comply with, for the health and safety of users.Protective gloves which are classed as PPE must also be CE marked.

PPE covered by the directive are split into three clear categories, depending on the level of risk.

Simple Design (Category 1)

Where it is assumed the user can himself assess the level of protection provided against theminimal risks concerned the effects of which, are gradual, and can be safely identified by the user in good time. The category includes: gloves protecting against mechanical actions whose effects are superficial, cleaning materials of weak action and easily reversible effects, risks when handling hot components not exposing user to over 50ºC or to dangerous impacts, atmospheric agents of neither an exceptional or extreme nature, minor impacts and vibrations which do not effect vital areas of the body and whose effects cannot cause irreversible lesions.

Intermediate Design (Category 2)

For gloves that do notmeet the requirements of either the Simple Design or the Complex Design categories. For example, areas of specific risk where a reasonable level of protection is required in the designated task. In all cases the glovemust be tested and certified by a notified body, and pictograms show the level of protection for each hazard for each glove.

Complex Design (Category 3)

To protect against mortal danger or against dangers that may seriously and irreversibly harm health, the immediate effects of which the designer assumes the user cannot identify in sufficient time. The category includes: gloves protecting against chemical attack, ironizing radiation, air temperature of 100ºC or more, air temperature of -50oC or less and protection against electrical risk and dangerous voltages.

In all cases the glove must be tested and certified by a notified body, and pictograms show the level of protection for each hazard for each glove.

EN 388 : 2003 - Mechanical Hazards

(1) Abrasion resistance: 1-4
(2) Blade cut resistance: 1-5
(3) Tear resistance: 1-4
(4) Puncture resistance: 1-4
0 = does not comply

Mechanical risk is defined by the four specific hazards that the user can be exposed to when physically handling rough, sharp or abrasive materials.

The higher the ranking, the better the protection against mechanical risk.

Symbol on individual gloves will have numbers under symbol to represent the performace level on each test.

EN 374 : 2003 – Chemical and Micro-organisms

This standard deals with the penetration characteristics of protection against chemicals and micro-organisms.

Gloves shall be considered to bemicro-organismresistant when conforming to at least level 2 of EN374-2 and the micro-organism symbol is displayed. Level 2 equates to < AQL1.5 inspection level G1 for air and water-leak testing.

This standard deals with the permeation & penetration characteristics of protection against chemicals and micro-organisms.

List of Test Chemicals
Code Letter	Chemical	CAS Number	Class
A	Methanol	67-56-1	Primary Alcohol
B	Acetone	67-64-1	Ketone
C	Acetonitrile	75-05-8	Nitrile compound
D	Dichloromethane	75-09-2	Chlorinated paraffin
E	Carbon disulphide	75-15-0	Sulphur containing organic compound
F	Toluene	108-88-3	Aromatic hydrocarbon
G	Diethylamine	109-89-7	Amine
H	Tetrahydrifurane	109-99-9	Heterocyclic and ether compound
I	Ethyl acetate	147-78-6	Ester
J	n-Heptane	142-85-5	Saturated hydrocarbon
K	Sodium hydroxide 40%	1310-73-2	Inorganic base
L	Suphuric acid 96%	7664-93-9	Inorganic mineral acid


Performance level	1	2	3	4	5	6
Breakthrough time (mins)	>10	>30	>60	>120	>240	>480

Permeation performance must meet or exceed level 2 for 3 of the chemicals from the chart to qualify for the standard.

Symbol on individual gloves will have letters under symbol to represent the chemicals tested.

EN 511 : 1994 – Cold Hazards

Protective gloves against cold.

(1) Convective cold: 1-4
(2) Contact cold: 1-4
(3) Water impermeability: 1 (Pass or fail)
0 = does not comply

The higher the ranking, the better the protection against cold.

Symbol on individual gloves will have numbers under symbol to represent the performace level on each test.

EN 407 : 2004 - Thermal Hazards

Protective gloves resistant to thermal hazards

(1) Burning behaviour: 1-4
(2) Contact heat: 1-4
(3) Convective heat: 1-4
(4) Radiant heat: 1-4
(5) Small splashes of molten metal: 1-4
(6) Large splashes of molten metal: 1-4
X = does not comply

Symbol on individual gloves will have numbers under symbol to represent the performace level on each test

This pictogram identifies gloves fit for food handling.

This symbol means to “consult instructions for use”.

For independant test data or more information please contact Bodyguards Industrial