BS 

EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018

BSI Standards Publication

Protective gloves against dangerous

chemicals and micro-organisms

Part 1: Terminology and performance requirements for chemical risks

BS EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018 BRITISH STANDARD

National foreword
This British Standard is the UK implementation of
EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018. It is identical to ISO 374‑1:2016,
incorporating amendment 1:2018. It supersesdes BS EN ISO 374‑1:2016,
which is withdrawn.
The start and finish of text introduced or altered by amendment is
indicated in the text by tags. Tags indicating changes to ISO text carry
the number of the ISO amendment. For example, text altered by ISO
amendment 1 is indicated by  .
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical
Committee PH/3/8, Protective gloves.
A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on
request to its secretary.
BSI, as a member of CEN, is obliged to publish
EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018 as a British Standard. However,
attention is drawn to the fact that during the development of this
European Standard, the UK committee voted against its approval as a
European Standard.
Further information on why the UK committee submitted a negative vote
can be found in National Annex NA.
This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions
of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.
© The British Standards Institution 2018
Published by BSI Standards Limited 2018
ISBN 978 0 580 51454 8
ICS 13.340.40; 01.040.13
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from
legal obligations.
This British Standard was published under the authority of the
Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 January 2017.

Amendments/corrigenda issued since publication

Date Text affected

31 August 2018 Implementation of ISO amendment 1:2018 with

CEN endorsement A1:2018
EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO 374‑1:2016
NORME EUROPÉENNE +A1
EUROPÄISCHE NORM July 2018

ICS 13.340.40 Supersedes EN ISO 374‑1:2016

English Version

Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and

micro-organisms - Part 1: Terminology and performance
requirements for chemical risks
Gants de protection contre les produits Schutzhandschuhe gegen gefährliche Chemikalien
chimiques dangereux et les micro-organismes und Mikroorganismen - Teil 1: Terminologie und
- Partie 1: Terminologie et exigences de Leistungsanforderungen für chemische Risiken
performance pour les risques chimiques

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 24 September 2016.

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, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION

COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels

© 2018 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018: E
worldwide for CEN national Members
BS EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018
EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018 (E)

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 374‑1:2016) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 94 “Personal
safety - Protective clothing and 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 May 2017, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by May 2017.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such
patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 374‑1:2003.
This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the
European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s).
For relationship with EU  Directive(s), see informative Annex  ZA, which is an integral part of
this document.
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, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 374‑1:2016 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 374‑1:2016 without any modification.

Foreword to amendment A1
This document (EN  ISO  374‑1:2016/A1:2018) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC  94
“Personal safety - Protective clothing and 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 Amendment to the European Standard EN ISO 374‑1:2016 shall be given the status of a national
standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by January 2019, and
conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by January 2019.
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 has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the
European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive.
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, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
the United Kingdom.

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EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018 (E)

Endorsement notice
The text of ISO  374‑1:2016/Amd  1:2018 has been approved by CEN as EN  ISO  374‑1:2016/A1:2018
without any modification.

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EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018 (E)

Annex ZA
(informative)

Relationship between this European Standard and the Essential

Requirements of EC Directive 89/686/EEC

This European Standard has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission
and the European Free Trade Association to provide a means of conforming to Essential Requirements
of the New Approach Directive 89/686/EEC.
Once this standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Communities under that Directive
and has been implemented as a national standard in at least one Member State, compliance with the
clauses of this standard given in Table  ZA.1 confers, within the limits of the scope of this standard,
a presumption of conformity with the corresponding Essential Requirements of that Directive and
associated EFTA regulations.

Table ZA.1 — Correspondence between this European Standard and Directive 89/686/EEC

Clause(s)/ sub- Qualifying re-
Essential Requirements (ERs) of Directive 89/686/EEC
clause(s) of this EN marks/Notes
1.4 Information supplied by the manufacturer Clause 7  
2.12. PPE bearing one or more identification or recognition marks Clause 6  
directly or indirectly relating to health and safety
3.10 Protection against dangerous substances and infective agents 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5  
3.10.2 Protection against cutaneous and ocular contact

WARNING — Other requirements and other EC Directives may be applicable to the product(s)
falling within the scope of this standard.

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Contents Page

Foreword......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... vi
1 Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references....................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
4 Sampling......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
4.1 Sampling for permeation................................................................................................................................................................ 2
4.2 Sampling for penetration testing............................................................................................................................................. 3
4.3 Sampling for degradation testing............................................................................................................................................ 3
5 Performance requirement.......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
5.1 General requirements........................................................................................................................................................................ 3
5.2 Penetration.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
5.3 Degradation................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
5.4 Permeation.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
5.4.1 General...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
5.4.2 Type A......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
5.4.3 Type B......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
5.4.4 Type C......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
5.5 Requirements for gloves types A, B and C........................................................................................................................ 5
6 Marking........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
6.1 Marking of Type A gloves................................................................................................................................................................ 5
6.2 Marking of Type B gloves................................................................................................................................................................ 6
6.3 Marking of Type C gloves................................................................................................................................................................ 6
7 Information supplied by the manufacturer.............................................................................................................................. 7

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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 documents 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).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on 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 the following URL: www.iso.org/iso/
foreword.html.
ISO 374‑1 was prepared by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in collaboration with
ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC 94, Personal safety — Protective clothing and equipment, Subcommittee
SC 13 Protective clothing in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and
CEN (Vienna Agreement).
ISO 374 consists of the following parts, under the general title Protective gloves against dangerous
chemicals and micro-organisms:
— Part 1: Terminology and performance requirements for chemical risks
— Part 5: Terminology and performance requirements for micro-organism risks

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 BS EN ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 374‑1:2016+A1:2018

Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and

micro-organisms —
Part 1:
Terminology and performance requirements for
chemical risks

1 Scope
This part of ISO  374 specifies the requirements for protective gloves intended to protect the user
against dangerous chemicals and defines terms to be used.
NOTE If other protection features have to be covered, e.g. mechanical risks, thermal risks, electrostatic
dissipation etc., the appropriate specific performance standard is to be used in addition. Further information on
protective gloves standards can be found in the EN 420.

2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 374‑2:2014, Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and micro-organisms — Part 2:
Determination of resistance to penetration
EN 374‑4:2013, Protective gloves against chemicals and micro-organisms — Part 4: Determination of
resistance to degradation by chemicals
EN 420:2009, Protective gloves — General requirements and test methods
EN 16523‑1:2015, Determination of material resistance to permeation by chemicals — Part 1: Permeation
by liquid chemical under conditions of continuous contact

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions in EN 16523‑1 and the following apply.
3.1
dangerous chemicals
chemical substance potentially hazardous for the health (carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, toxic,
harmful, corrosive, irritant, sensitizing), as defined in any national regulation
Note 1 to entry: The former European Directives 1999/45/EC and 67/548/EEC have been repealed by regulation
1272/2008 on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures.

3.2
protective glove material
any material or combination of materials used in a protective glove for the purpose of isolating the
hands or hands and arms from direct contact with a dangerous chemical
3.3
protective gloves against dangerous chemical risks
protective gloves which form a protective barrier to dangerous chemicals (3.1)

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3.4
degradation
deleterious change in one or more properties of a protective glove material (3.2) due to contact
with a chemical
Note 1 to entry: Indications of degradation may include flaking, swelling, disintegration, embrittlement, colour
change, dimensional change, appearance, hardening, softening, etc.

3.5
penetration
movement of a chemical through materials, seams, pinholes, or other imperfections in a protective glove
material (3.2) on a non-molecular level
3.6
permeation
process by which a chemical moves through a protective glove material (3.2) on a molecular level
Note 1 to entry: Permeation involves the following:

— absorption of molecules of the chemical into the contacted (outside) surface of a material;

— diffusion of the absorbed molecules in the material;

— desorption of the molecules from the opposite (inside) surface of the material.

3.7
test chemical
chemical substance, or mixture of chemical substances, potentially hazardous to the health that is used
under laboratory test conditions to determine the breakthrough time

4 Sampling

4.1 Sampling for permeation

Each material specimen to be tested shall conform to the requirement in EN 16523‑1:2015, Clause 7, so
that the material can be sealed inside the test cell.
Three test specimens shall be taken from the palm area. If the glove is longer than or equal to 400 mm
and if the cuff is claimed to protect against chemical risks, three additional test specimens shall be
taken where the center is 80 mm from the end of the cuff (see Figure 1).

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Dimensions in millimetres

Key
1 sample

Figure 1 — Additional sample location for gloves longer than 400 mm

Other parts of the glove can be tested on request. In the case of seams in the hand area, this area shall
be tested. For multilayer chemical protective gloves, in the case of layers not bonded to the chemical
protective layer, the layers not claiming any effect on the chemical protection can be removed, i.e.
thermal insulation layer.

4.2 Sampling for penetration testing

The sampling for penetrations shall be done according to EN 374‑2:2014, Clause 5.

4.3 Sampling for degradation testing

The sampling for degradation shall be done according to 4.1 and EN 374‑4:2013, 5.1.

5 Performance requirement
SAFETY PRECAUTION — Persons using this part of ISO 374 shall be familiar with normal
laboratory practice. This part of ISO 374 does not purport to address all the safety problems, if
any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user to apply established Health and
Safety practices and to ensure compliance with European or national regulatory conditions.

5.1 General requirements

Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals shall comply with the requirements given in
EN 420:2009, Clause 4, Clause 5 and Clause 7.

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5.2 Penetration
Protective gloves shall not leak when tested according to EN 374‑2:2014, 7.2 and 7.3.

5.3 Degradation
The degradation (DR) shall be determined according to EN  374‑4 for each chemical claimed in the
marking and reported in the user instruction.
For the glove longer than 400  mm, the degradation corresponding to the lowest permeation results
shall at least be reported.

5.4 Permeation

5.4.1 General

For the glove longer than 400 mm, where the palm and cuff achieve different performance levels, the
lowest performance level shall be claimed in the marking for each chemical.
All the results should be reported in the user instruction.
Each combination of protective glove/test chemical shall be classified according to Table 1, using the
results as given in EN 16523‑1:2015, 8.5.1.1 or 8.5.1.3 for the normalized breakthrough time.

Table 1 — Permeation performance levels

Measured breakthrough time
Permeation performance level
min
>10 1
>30 2
>60 3
>120 4
>240 5
>480 6

The test chemical(s) shall be taken from the list of test chemicals in Table 2. Other test chemicals could
be used depending on the application of the gloves.
The situation described in EN  16523‑1:2015, 8.5.1.4 is considered a fail due to non-homogeneity of
the samples.
According to their permeation performance, chemical protective gloves are classified into three types:
type A, type B or type C.

5.4.2 Type A

The permeation performance shall be at least level  2 against a minimum of six test chemicals
listed in Table 2.

5.4.3 Type B

The permeation performance shall be at least level  2 against minimum of three test chemicals
listed in Table 2.

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5.4.4 Type C

The permeation performance shall be at least level  1 against minimum of one test chemical
listed in Table 2.

Table 2 — List of test chemicals

CODE
CHEMICAL CAS NUMBER CLASS
LETTER
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 hydrocarbon
E Carbon disulphide 75-15-0 Sulphur containing organic compound
F Toluene 108-88-3 Aromatic hydrocarbon
G Diethylamine 109-89-7 Amine
H Tetrahydrofuran 109-99-9 Heterocyclic and ether compound
I Ethyl acetate 141-78-6 Ester
J n-Heptane 142-82-5 Saturated hydrocarbon
K Sodium hydroxide 40 % 1310-73-2 Inorganic base
L Sulphuric acid 96 % 7664-93-9 Inorganic mineral acid, oxidizing
M Nitric acid 65 % 7697-37-2 Inorganic mineral acid, oxidizing
N Acetic acid 99 % 64-19-7 Organic acid
O Ammonium hydroxide 25 % 1336-21-6 Organic base
P Hydrogen peroxide 30 % 7722-84-1 Peroxide
S Hydrofluoric acid 40 % 7664-39-3 Inorganic mineral acid
T Formaldehyde 37 % 50-00-0 Aldehyde

5.5 Requirements for gloves types A, B and C

The requirements are mentioned in Table 3.

Table 3 — Requirements for different protection types of gloves

5.1 5.2 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4
Type A X X X
Type B X X X
Type C X X X
X = required.

6 Marking
Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals shall be marked in accordance with the requirements
for protective gloves in EN 420 and with the following.

6.1 Marking of Type A gloves

For protective gloves complying with the type A requirements stated in 5.5, the pictograms in Figure 2
shall be used with reference to this part of ISO 374.

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The six tested chemicals shall be identified by their code letter which shall be marked under the
pictogram as shown in Figure 2. If other chemicals not present in the list have been tested, information
about the performance levels shall be provided in the user intructions.

Figure 2 — Marking of Type A gloves

6.2 Marking of Type B gloves

For protective gloves complying with the type B requirements stated in 5.5, the pictograms in Figure 3
shall be used with reference to this part of ISO 374.
The three tested chemicals shall be identified by their code letter which shall be marked under the
pictogram as shown in Figure 3. If other chemicals not present in the list have been tested, information
about the performance levels shall be provided in the user instructions.

Figure 3 — Marking of Type B gloves

6.3 Marking of Type C gloves

For protective gloves complying with the type C requirements stated in 5.5, the pictogram in Figure 4
shall be used and the reference to this part of ISO 374.
The tested chemical(s) shall be given in the user instructions with information about its performance
levels. If other chemicals not present in the list have been tested, information about the performance
levels shall be provided in the user instructions.

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Figure 4 — Marking of Type C gloves

7 Information supplied by the manufacturer

The information supplied by the manufacturer shall be in accordance with the requirements for
information as defined in EN  420. It shall also include the results of 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, the list of all the
chemicals to which the protective gloves have been tested and the performance levels obtained in
permeation testing.
The following warnings shall be added in the user instructions:
“This information does not reflect the actual duration of protection in the workplace and the
differentiation between mixtures and pure chemicals.”
”The chemical resistance has been assessed under laboratory conditions from samples taken from
the palm only (except in cases where the glove is equal to or over 400 mm - where the cuff is tested
also) and relates only to the chemical tested. It can be different if the chemical is used in a mixture.”
“It is recommended to check that the gloves are suitable for the intended use because the
conditions at the workplace may differ from the type test depending on temperature, abrasion and
degradation.”
“When used, protective gloves may provide less resistance to the dangerous chemical due to
changes in physical properties. Movements, snagging, rubbing, degradation caused by the chemical
contact etc. may reduce the actual use time significantly. For corrosive chemicals, degradation can
be the most important factor to consider in selection of chemical resistant gloves”
“Before usage, inspect the gloves for any defect or imperfections.”
For reusable gloves, the manufacturer shall provide the relevant instructions for decontamination.
If there is no information about decontamination, then it is intended for single use only and the following
warning shall be added: “For single use only”.

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National Annex NA
(informative)
Chemical Risks

NA.1 Introduction

This informative annex provides the reader with further information in relation to gloves protecting
against dangerous chemicals. When specifying and selecting protective gloves chemical resistance
should be given high priority, when relevant to the end use. The specific chemicals being used and
the conditions they are used in should be properly assessed to ascertain suitability of the protective
gloves.

In this context the term ‘chemical resistance’ refers to the resistance of a glove or gauntlet to
permeability, degradation and penetration from dangerous chemicals.

EN ISO 374-1 details standard test methods and associated performance classifications which allow
a comparison of the performance of gloves under laboratory conditions to be made. It is important
to note that laboratory conditions may vary considerably from those experienced in use, potentially
resulting in a reduction of performance. The information given in this annex is intended to interpret
and complement the test data generated by EN ISO 374-1.

Unless clearly marked as having been tested and approved against this standard gloves should not be
used to protect against chemical risks.

While this standard requires testing against named chemicals which act as a benchmark, protection
against other chemicals cannot be inferred or extrapolated. As part of the assessment of risk of use,
the level of performance against the intended chemical challenge should always be determined by
testing at an accredited laboratory.

The UK committee is of the opinion that terms such as ‘chemical-proof’ and ‘anti-chemical’ are
misleading and should not be used.

NA.2  Explanation of EN ISO 374-1 chemical testing and markings

The performance criteria measured when assessing chemical protection are Penetration, Degradation
and Permeation. The methods used to assess these elements are detailed in a series of standards listed
in Clause 2, Normative references. Permeation is classified into six performance levels based on the
time taken for a measured amount of the chemical to migrate through the glove (Subclause 5.4.1,
Table 1), with level six being the longest duration of resistance. The chemicals to which the glove can
be assessed are listed in Table 2.

Gloves are further categorised based on the number of chemicals they protect against; Type A gloves
protect against six chemicals from the list and must achieve a performance level of at least 2. Type B
gloves protect against three chemicals from the list with at least a performance level of 2. Type C
gloves must protect against one chemical from the list and achieve a performance level of at least 1.

It is important to note the opinion of the UK committee is that gloves being assessed as only achieving
Type C are insufficiently differentiated from types A and B due to the use of the same iconography.
In the UK committee’s opinion this could represent a conflict with the Essential Health and Safety
requirements as defined within EU regulation (EC) 2016/425 annex 2 preliminary remarks point 5. This
clause states:

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BS EN ISO 374-1:2016+A1:2018

‘When designing and manufacturing the PPE, and when drafting the instructions, the manufacturer
shall envisage not only the intended use of the PPE, but also the reasonably foreseeable uses.
Where applicable, the health and safety of persons other than the user shall be ensured.’

Type C gloves are designed to be low chemical protective gloves and therefore breakthrough time
is less than that of type A and B. Using the same iconography may cause users to believe they are
receiving a similar level of protection, albeit for one chemical, and this is not the case.

The UK committee suggests the addition of the phrase ‘Low Chemical’ next to the chemical code
letter under the specified iconography from EN ISO 374-1:2016 when marking products against Type C
classification. This additional wording is also recommended to be used within the user instructions or
customer specification documentation.

EN 374-1/Typ C

A – Low Chemical

Figure NA.1 — Example Product Marking

Additionally, the UK committee has concerns in regards to the following statement within
subclause 4.1 of EN ISO 374-1:2016:

‘If the glove is longer than or equal to 400 mm and if the cuff is claimed to protect against
chemical risks, three additional test specimens shall be taken where the centre is 80 mm from the
end of the cuff.’

It is the opinion of the UK committee that for a chemical protective glove where the protective
material appears to extend onto the lower arm it should be a requirement to test the cuff or forearm
area for the same chemical testing as the palm and that the performance level quoted be based on the
lowest performance achieved. This opinion is based on foreseeable use and the obligations as defined
within the Essential Health and Safety Requirements Annex II of EU Regulation (EC) 2016/425. The
committee suggests that testing of an extended cuff should not be based solely on the manufacturer’s
market claims.

NA.3  Additional Testing

The standard determines that the area for testing against chemical(s) risk is taken from the palms and
cuffs of gloves and assumes homogeneity of the glove as a whole. However, in practical use all parts
of the glove may be subjected to permeation from chemicals, including the back of the hand and the
fingers. Therefore, notified bodies should ensure the protective material extends beyond the palm to
encompass the whole hand.

End users when determining their choice of chemical protective glove should assess the types of
chemicals that may be encountered including any mixtures and in addition also estimate the exposure
times and frequency. Additional test data on chemicals or chemical mixtures not found on the list
in Table 2 may be required in order to offer sufficient confidence that a product offers the required
protection. This additional data may be available from the manufacturer or can be obtained by
initiating testing at a suitable accredited laboratory.

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