Protective gloves may only be placed on the market in Europe if they comply with the requirements of Directive 89/686/EEC. The Directive aims to provide ergonomically designed gloves with the required level of protection in the respective protection class.
Achieving goals
To achieve this goal, the manufacturer must label his product, thereby confirming that his product complies with the specified legal requirements. Of course, the harmlessness of the product must be ensured, i.e. it must not contain substances that are harmful to health and can harm the wearer. If limit values are determined, they must never be exceeded (example: chromium VI in leather gloves). Protective gloves (like many other protective equipment, by the way) are divided into different categories. Incidentally, the division into categories has nothing to do with the suitability of the glove for a particular use or application.
Categories of protective gloves are:
>> Category 1 << includes gloves to protect against minor risks. For articles in this category, the manufacturer can issue the EC declaration of conformity on his own responsibility. Marking by CE marking.
>> Category 2 << contains all gloves that protect against medium risks. The manufacturer must have an EC type examination carried out by a recognised independent testing institute ("notified body"). If the requirements are met, he can affix the CE mark. Gloves against mechanical risks fall into this category.
>> Category 3 << includes gloves to protect against deadly hazards or irreversible risks. Such risks are, for example, chemical hazards, ionizing radiation or flames. The marking is carried out by the CE marking with identification number of the independent testing institute.
CE marking
The CE mark confirms that the product meets the safety requirements of the applicable EU directives. The declaration of conformity confirms to the user that the product can be used safely in accordance with its intended purpose (performance profile, instructions for use). It is the responsibility of the user to select the right glove for the specific application.