How To Choose The Right PPE – Safety Glove Standards

The workplace can present many hazards for unprotected hands. From exposure to chemicals, cuts and burns, serious damage can occur if the correct glove is not worn at all times to protect skin from harm. Unsurprisingly, no single glove can provide optimal performance for every work situation. It is therefore important to carefully assess the risks involved with each task employees are required to carry out before specifying a glove that offers specialist protection and meets the required safety standards. As an aid to selection, the following table provides a quick overview of the main standards applicable to gloves of all types - from leather, dipped, cotton and mixed fibre to rubber, cut and chemical resistant.

Common Safety Glove Standards

 

	EN 388 - This standard relates to gloves that are intended for general industrial usage. The standard covers the abrasion, cut, tear and puncture and impact resistance of the glove.
	EN 511 - This standard denotes that the gloves offer cold protection. The standard tests the convective cold & contact cold insulation properties offered by the glove.
	EN 407 - This standard refers to protection against thermal hazards. The testing covers the burning behaviour, heat resistance and molten metal splash resistance of a glove.
	EN 374 parts 1-2 - This symbol denotes compliance with parts 1-2 of standard EN374. These gloves have passed air and water leak tests and are suitable for use with micro-organisms.
	EN 374 parts 1-3 - This symbol denotes compliance with the standard EN 374 parts 1-3. The standard specifies the ability of a glove to protect against chemicals and/or micro-organisms.
	EN 374 parts 1-3 (low level chemical use) - The gloves have been tested in accordance with EN 374 parts 1-3 & are considered to be waterproof gloves offering low level chemical protection.
	Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulation EU 10/2011 - This symbol denotes that this single use item is suitable for use with food.
EN 420	This standard ensures that gloves are comfortable to wear & safe to use. It covers length, sizing, dexterity, pH value and Chrome VI levels (leather gloves only). All CAT II and CAT III gloves comply with this standard.
EN 455	This standard refers to “Medical Gloves for Single Use”. Testing includes freedom from holes, sizing & strength, biological evaluation and shelf life testing.
EN 12477	Gloves carrying EN 12477 are suitable for use in manual metal welding, cutting and allied processes. The standard draws on EN420, EN 388 and EN 407.