Choosing Safety Gloves: Expert Glove Selection Guide for ...

Understanding EN388: + A1:

Defense Against Mechanical Hazards with Protective Gloves

When it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE), general-purpose safety gloves dominate market sales, providing crucial defense against an array of hazards. To guide users in choosing the correct gloves, various European safety standards, like EN 388:+A1:, are established to outline protection levels aligning with specific risks associated with different work activities. EN 388:+A1: outlines stipulations, testing methodologies, markings, and the necessary information pertaining to protective gloves shielding against mechanical hazards, which include abrasion, blade cuts, tearing, puncturing, and, if necessary, impact.

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Resistance to Abrasion

In testing, a sample is extracted from the glove's palm area and subjected to friction against 180 grit sandpaper using a Martindale abrasion machine. The number of cycles that a sample withstands before a hole forms dictates its score. The table below illustrates the score levels corresponding to cycle counts:

Number of CyclesLevelAbrasion Resistance

Cut Resistance (Coup Test)

In this test, a sample from the glove's palm is assessed with a circular blade while applying a force of 5 Newtons until the material is severed completely. The material's cut resistance is derived from a comparative index assessing the number of cycles required to penetrate through the sample against the reference fabric. The table below provides further insight:

Cut Index1.22.LevelCut Resistance

Tear Resistance Assessment

This test involves a palm sample drawn from the glove, which is then subjected to tearing using a standard tensile testing machine. The resulting score corresponds to the Newton Force necessary to pull apart the sample, outlined below:

Number of ForceLevelTear Resistance

Puncture Resistance Evaluation

In a defined procedure, a sample from the palm area is punctured with a stylus applying varying forces until the material gives way. Below is the recording of forces required to puncture the substance:

Newtons of ForceLevelPuncture Resistance

Cut Resistance (ISO Standards)

A palm sample is subjected to a straight blade with incrementally increased force applied. The Newtons of Force required are compiled as follows:

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Newtons of Force>20>50>100>150>22>30LevelABCDEFCut Resistance

Resistance to Impact

Excluding fingers, all areas designated for impact defense undergo rigorous testing by measuring the peak transmitted force. The glove's protective zone is placed over a domed anvil and struck with 5J of energy. The results are classified as pass or fail, denoted as P (Pass), X (Fail), or no mark (Not tested).

Insights by Nelson Schlatter, application chemist, Ansell Protective Products, Indianapolis.

Some individuals may suffer from Type I latex allergies, triggered by allergenic proteins inherent in natural rubber latex sourced from rubber trees. Such allergies could manifest systemic reactions including coughing, sneezing, and facial rashes, alongside localized skin effects beneath the gloves.

Although these proteins serve a purpose in maintaining latex as a flowable liquid, they lose their function post-manufacturing. Newly formed gloves undergo leaching, a process that significantly reduces the presence of these proteins.

Improvements in the leaching technique have effectively minimized the allergenic protein levels in gloves, rendering new options much less likely to induce allergic reactions. However, complete removal of these proteins remains unattainable. Workers aware of their latex allergies should contemplate transitioning to synthetic choices such as nitrile, neoprene, or vinyl gloves.

Allergic responses to nitrile and neoprene are less frequent compared to latex, typically manifesting as Type IV reactions, which stem from a different biological pathway and may affect only the skin underneath gloves. Generally, the rubber material itself poses minimal risk; instead, the additives termed “accelerators” within nitrile and neoprene gloves are frequently the culprits. For individuals highly sensitive to these chemical accelerators, gloves free from these compounds are available.

Allergic reactions to vinyl gloves are exceedingly rare. More often, users experience contact urticaria, a mild skin irritant resulting from perspiration and reduced airflow inside the gloves.

Contact urticaria is a potential concern for various glove types, as the risk is unavoidable when gloves are sealed to block chemicals. Incorporating moisture-wicking fabric liners can mitigate this concern, either integrated into the gloves or used as separate items under disposable variants. However, adding liners increases glove thickness and may impair the dexterity that thin disposable gloves are favored for.

Skin reactions may also arise from leakage issues. Even though laboratory tests show thin vinyl gloves resisting many chemicals, they often begin leaking after limited usage, causing “allergies” that could be chemical reactions to substances being handled.

If workers suspect an allergy to vinyl gloves, they should opt for either natural or synthetic (neoprene or nitrile) alternatives, which utilize distinct additives. Those sensitized only to plastic additives are unlikely to experience reactions from rubber substances.

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