Personal protective equipment (PPE) plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of workers, especially in various high-risk working environments. As an important part of PPE, gloves must comply with specific international standards according to their use and the characteristics of the protection required.

EU Standard (EN) Gloves

EN 388 Gloves

The EN 388 standard is a special European standard for gloves for mechanical risk protection. This standard evaluates the protection level of gloves by testing their cut resistance, abrasion resistance, tear resistance and puncture resistance. These gloves are usually used in high-risk working environments such as metal processing, glass processing, and wood processing.

EN 374 Gloves

The EN 374 standard focuses on protection against chemical and liquid hazards. It specifies in detail the test methods for the permeability and penetration of gloves to chemicals, as well as the anti-contamination ability and sealing requirements of gloves. According to the different parts of EN 374, gloves can be further subdivided into:

1. EN 374-1: Terminology and performance requirements for gloves for protection against chemicals and microorganisms.

2. EN 374-2: Air tightness and liquid tightness test. 

3. EN 374-4: Degradation performance and puncture resistance test. 

4. EN 374-5: Terminology and performance requirements for gloves for protection against hazardous chemicals and microorganisms.

These gloves are widely used in many fields such as chemical, laboratory, medical, food processing, etc.

USA Standard (ANSI/ISEA, ASTM) Gloves

ANSI/ISEA 105 Gloves

The ANSI/ISEA 105 standard is the US standard for the mechanical protection performance of gloves. It gives gloves a recognizable numerical grade based on their ability to resist cutting, abrasion, puncture and tearing. The standard uses a TDM-100 test machine for testing, and the results measure the cutting force in grams (metric weight of mass load).

ANSI/ISEA 105 gloves are widely used in industries that require high-intensity hand protection, such as manufacturing, logistics, and construction.

ASTM D120 Gloves

The ASTM D120 standard applies to the testing and specification of insulating gloves. It mainly evaluates the electrical insulation performance of gloves to ensure the safety of workers when handling electrical equipment. These gloves are widely used in industries such as electricity, electronics, and communications.

ASTM D5250 Gloves

The ASTM D5250 standard focuses on the durability and protection of industrial gloves. According to this standard, gloves can be divided into several grades from A to D. The higher the grade, the better the protective performance of the gloves. ASTM D5250 gloves are suitable for various industrial environments, such as machinery manufacturing, automobile repair, welding, etc.

There are many types of gloves in personal protective equipment (PPE), and each glove is designed according to its specific application scenario and protection needs. By following international standards such as EN, ANSI, and ASTM, it can be ensured that the gloves have appropriate quality and safety performance, thereby effectively protecting workers from various hazards. When selecting and using gloves, be sure to choose the appropriate type according to the specific working environment and risk level, and follow the corresponding use and maintenance guidelines to ensure that its protective effect is maximized.