This standard explains the capability of a glove to protect the user against chemicals and/or micro-organisms. There are 3 pictograms which relate to this EN standard:
This measures glove quality, gloves must pass this test in order to prove that they provide an effective barrier against liquids and microorganisms. This tests for leakages, pin holes or other imperfections in the glove material. Gloves are graded according to the acceptable quality levels (AQL) of the gloves and must meet the minimum of AQL level 2 to carry this pictogram.
This is measured in ascending order from level 1-3:
This measures the time it takes for a chemical to break through the glove material. Multiple samples from the palm of the tested glove have chemicals placed onto the surface of the sample. The time it takes for the chemical to pass through to the inside of the sample is known as the breakthrough time. This is then graded from level 0-6:
| Measured Breakthrough Time | Performance Level |
|---|---|
| > 10 minutes | Level 1 |
| > 30 minutes | Level 2 |
| > 60 minutes | Level 3 |
| > 120 minutes | Level 4 |
| > 240 minutes | Level 5 |
| > 480 minutes | Level 6 |
Gloves need to have a breakthrough time of at least 30 minutes for 3 out of 12 standard defined chemicals to carry this pictogram. Chemicals are identified by the letters below:
| Code | Chemical | CAS Number* | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Methanol | 67-56-1 | Primary Alcohol |
| B | Acetone | 67-64-1-1 | Ketone |
| C | Acetonitrile | 75-05-08 | Nitrile Compound |
| D | Dichloromethane | 75-09-2 | Chlorinated Paraffin |
| E | Carbon Disulfide | 75-15-0 | Sulphur containing Organic compound |
| F | Toluen | 108-88-3 | Aromatic Hydrocarbon |
| G | Diethylamine | 109-89-7 | Amine |
| H | Tetrahydrofurane | 109-99-9 | Heterocyclic and Ether compount |
| I | Ethyl Acetate | 141-78-6 | Ether |
| J | n-Heptan | 142-85-5 | Saturated Hydrocarbon |
| K | Sodium Hydroxide 40% | 1310-73-2 | Inorganic Base |
| L | Sulphuric Acid 96% | 7664-93-9 | Inorganic Mineral Acid |
*CAS Number is a unique numerical identifier assigned by Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) to every chemical substance.
Gloves that have passed the initial penetration test, but have not achieved a breakthrough time of at least 30 minutes for a minimum of 3 of the standard defined chemicals will show this pictogram. This is also known as the waterproof glove pictogram.