Here you will find some information about the European standards for protective gloves and what you need to know when choosing the right protective glove.
There are three categories of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the European market for protective gloves, depending on the potential hazard against which they protect. All gloves in categories 1 to 3 also meet the requirements of the EN 420 standard, which reflects the general requirements and test methods for protective gloves.
Category 1: Minimal risks
Category 1 protective gloves protect against minor risks where the user can judge the effectiveness himself, e.g. during household work, as dirt protection, weather conditions and sun rays.
The gloves are marked with the CE mark.
Category 2: Medium risks
Protective gloves that do not belong to categories 1 and 3 belong to category 2. This category includes gloves that have been tested for protection against mechanical risks in accordance with the EN 388 standard. The products are marked with pictograms and the CE mark.
The mechanical risk pictogram contains four requirement criteria. The performance levels are indicated by numerical values:
- (a) Abrasion resistance (0 to 4)
- (b) Cut resistance (0 to 5)
- (c) Tear propagation strength (0 to 4)
- (d) Piercing force (0 to 4)
Category 3: Complex risks
The protective gloves protect against deadly dangers or serious and irreversible risks, e.g. temporary protection against damage caused by radiation or chemicals. These gloves must be used where the user cannot recognize the immediate effect of these risks in time. The protective gloves are tested in accordance with EN 374 and are also regularly checked by a body designated in the directive. The products must be marked with pictograms, the CE mark and the identification number of the notified body.
The test according to EN 374-2 is also called air leak test, or water leak test.
If a glove is marked with this pictogram, the glove has been tested against penetration of chemicals and/or microorganisms and has achieved at least level 2 (AQL <1.5) in the anti-penetration test.
As a basic criterion, all chemical protective gloves must be leak-proof to liquids and air. In the air leak test, or water leak test, a glove must have no leaks in order to achieve an AQL value (Acceptable Quality Level) according to a statistical procedure.
| Performance | AQL value | Test level |
| Level 3 | < 0,65 | G1 |
| Level 2 | < 1,5 | G1 |
| Stage 1 | < 4,0 | S4 |
Gloves marked with either the Erlenmeyer flask or the beaker pictogram have been tested according to EN 374-3. The test according to EN 374-3 indicates how long the glove provides protection against the permeation of certain specified test chemicals (time until permeation is detected).
The Erlenmeyer flask always contains a 3-digit letter code. This code refers to the penetration test with three chemicals from the list of test chemicals in Annex A of standard EN 374-1:2003. The product must achieve a protection index of at least 2 (breakthrough time at least 30 minutes).
Marking at:
min 10 min. Power level 1
min 30 min. power level 2
min 60 min. Power level 3
min 120 min. Power level 4
min 240 min. Power level 5
min 480 min. Power level 6
The beaker pictogram is used for gloves with low chemical resistance that pass the penetration test but do not achieve a minimum breakthrough time of 30 minutes (performance level 2) for at least three chemicals from the list of test chemicals.
Letter codes of the test chemicals according to the standard EN 374-1:2003
| Letter code | Chemical | CAS Number |
| A | Methanol | 67-56-1 |
| B | Acetone | 67-64-1 |
| C | Acetonitrile | 75-05-8 |
| D | Dichloromethane | 75-09-2 |
| E | Carbon disulfide | 75-15-0 |
| F | Toluene | 108-88-3 |
| G | Diethylamine | 109-89-7 |
| H | Tetrahydrofuran | 109-99-9 |
| I | Ethyl Acetate | 141-78-6 |
| J | n-heptane | 142-85-5 |
| K | Sodium Hydroxide 40% | 1310-73-2 |
| L | Sulfuric acid 96% | 7664-93-9 |
Gloves marked with this pictogram are suitable for use in food areas and have been tested separately for this purpose.