Glossary
- the gloves - 10: Evolution of the norms and pictograms
- the gloves - 18: Resistance to chemical products and micro-organisms : standard EN 374
- the gloves - 21: The permeation resistance to an identical product can vary according to the composition of the protective gloves
- the gloves - 22: Table of chemical resistance
- the gloves - 23: The permeation resistance of an identical protective glove can vary from one product to another
- the gloves - 24: Detailed chart of chemical resistance
- the gloves - 3: The protective gloves : protective surface
- the gloves - 4: The protective gloves : dexterity
- the gloves - 10: Evolution of the norms and pictograms
- the gloves - 17: Noxious substances are very varied and widespread
- the gloves - 18: Resistance to chemical products and micro-organisms : standard EN 374
- the gloves - 10: Evolution of the norms and pictograms
- the gloves - 18: Resistance to chemical products and micro-organisms : standard EN 374
- the gloves - 20: Resistance of the protective gloves to penetration and permeation by noxious substances
- the gloves - 21: The permeation resistance to an identical product can vary according to the composition of the protective gloves
- the gloves - 22: Table of chemical resistance
- the gloves - 23: The permeation resistance of an identical protective glove can vary from one product to another
- the gloves - 24: Detailed chart of chemical resistance
- the gloves - 10: Evolution of the norms and pictograms
- the gloves - 20: Resistance of the protective gloves to penetration and permeation by noxious substances
- the gloves - 21: The permeation resistance to an identical product can vary according to the composition of the protective gloves
- the gloves - 22: Table of chemical resistance
- the gloves - 23: The permeation resistance of an identical protective glove can vary from one product to another
- the gloves - 24: Detailed chart of chemical resistance
Authorised organisation
Recognised organisation authorised to test and certify medium use gloves (for medium risk) and complex use gloves (for risk of death or irreversible injury). Only a recognised organisation can award the CE mark which is essential for the sale of these categories of gloves in the European Union. Each authorised organisation possesses its own identification number. For all the category III gloves (protection against levels of risk of death or irreversible injury to health), this identification number must appear on the certified gloves next to the CE mark. The name and address of the recognised organisation must also appear on the instructions for use which accompany the gloves.
book pictogram
Book pictogram : refers the user to the manufacturer's information leaflet (required by the revised EN 420)
Liens Cours
CE mark
The CE mark indicates that a product conforms to the fixed levels of protection and that all the procedures relating to the product for the evaluation of its conformity have been carried out. The CE mark must be affixed to the product in a clearly visible manner (or on the packaging if there is no suitable place or if the product might be damaged by marking it) and must be durable. For EPIs of risk category III, the four-digit number of the organisation responsible for continuous quality checking must be added, e.g. "CE 0493" means that the EPI has undergone tests conforming to the European standard conducted by Centexbel, centre for research and certification, whose certification number this is.
CEN European Committee for Standardization
The European Committee for Standardisation, whose headquarters is in Brussels, was set up in 1961 to harmonise European standards.
Liens Cours
contact
Transmission of heat or of cold by direct contact with a material
Liens Cours
convection
Transmission of heat by the displacement of a fluid
Liens Cours
degradation
Change in the physical properties of a glove (swelling, hardening, cracking ...) following contact with a chemical substance
Liens Cours
dexterity
To measure dexterity, the European standard EN420 refers to the smallest diameter of a pin which can be picked up with the gloved hand 3 times in 30 seconds
Liens Cours
EN European standard
The standards established by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) are identifiable by the prefix EN. They set out essential requirements which must compulsorily be satisfied for the products to be put on the European market. They are awarded by the national organisations of European standards on payment of a fee.
Liens Cours
EN 1082 European standard 1082
European standard which defines the resistance of gloves and of arm protectors to impact cuts (injuries caused by hand-held knives)
Liens Cours
EN 1149-5 European standard 1149-5
European standard which defines the performance requirements for antistatic clothing. This standard is applied to protective gloves which reduce the risk of sparks. This standard does not apply to protection against contact with electrical circuits (EN 60903)
Liens Cours
EN 12477 European standard 12477
European standard which specifies the requirements and the test methods applicable to protective gloves used for the soldering and manual cutting of metals, and similar techniques
Liens Cours
EN 13594 European standard 13594
European standard which specifies the requirements and the test methods applicable to protective gloves for professional motorcyclists
Liens Cours
EN 13998 European standard 13998
European standard which specifies the requirements and the test methods applicable to aprons, trousers, protective jackets and other clothing worn when using hand-held knives
Liens Cours
EN 14328 European standard 14328
European standard which specifies the requirements, the test methods and the instructions for use applicable to gloves and arm protectors protecting against cuts by electric knives
Liens Cours
EN 16350 European standard 16350
European standard which defines performance requirements for antistatic gloves (ESD)
Liens Cours
EN 374 European standard 374
European standard which defines the protection criteria for gloves intended to protect against chemicals and/or micro-organisms
EN 374-1 European standard 374-1
Part 1 of the standard EN 374: terminology and performance requirements.
Liens Cours
EN 374-2 European standard 374-2
Part 2 of the standard EN 374: definition of the resistance to penetration.
Liens Cours
EN 374-3 European standard 374-3
Part 3 of the standard EN 374: definition of the resistance to the permeation of chemicals.
Liens Cours
EN 381-4 and 381-7 European standard 381-4 and 381-7
European standard which defines the method of testing gloves designed to protect users of chain saws.
Liens Cours
EN 388 European standard 388
European standard which defines the protection criteria for gloves intended to protect against physical and mechanical injuries (abrasion, cuts caused by a blade, tearing, perforation)
Liens Cours
EN 407 European standard 407
European standard which defines the protection criteria for gloves intended to protect against heat and/or fire
Liens Cours
EN 420 European standard 420
European standard which defines the general criteria for protective gloves. For professions exposed to particular risks (for example radioactivity, electricity, surgery), more specific standards are required to be met.
Liens Cours
EN 421 (picto 1) European standard 421 (picto 1)
European standard which defines the protection criteria for gloves intended to protect against radioactive contamination and ionising radiation. The nature of the protection is indicated by a pictogramme (picto) corresponding to the gloves' specific properties. To protect against radioactive contamination (picto 1), the glove must be impermeable and must successfully pass the penetration test defined by the standard EN 374)
Liens Cours
EN 421 (picto 2) European standard 421 (picto 2)
European standard which defines the protection criteria for gloves intended to protect against radioactive contamination and ionising radiation. To protect against ionising radiation (picto 2), the glove must contain a certain quantity of lead or equivalent metal, designated lead equivalent. This must be indicated on each glove.
Liens Cours
EN 455 European standard 455
European standard which defines minimum requirements for medical protective equipment.
Liens Cours
EN 511 European standard 511
European standard which defines the protection criteria for gloves intended to protect against cold (convection cold and contact cold down to –50°C)
Liens Cours
EN 60903 European standard 60903
European standard which specifies the requirements and the test methods applicable to gloves and wiring gloves intended for workers exposed to high tension electrical voltage
Liens Cours
EN 659 European standard 659
European standard which defines the minimum performance requirements and the required test methods for protective gloves for firemen
Liens Cours
EN ISO 10819 International standard ISO 10819
Method for measuring the transmission of vibrations through the gloves at the palm of the hand
Liens Cours
ESD ElectroStatic Discharge
acronym corresponding to EN 16350
Liens Cours
European Directive 89/391 directive framework on safety and health at work
European directive framework adopted in 1989 which aims to improve safety and health at work. It guarantees minimum conditions of safety and health across Europe while authorising the member states to maintain or put in place stricter measures. It comprises general principles concerning the prevention of professional risks and the protection of safety and health, the elimination of factors of risk and accident, information, consultation, balanced participation conforming with legislation and/or national practices, the training of workers and their representatives, as well as general directions for the implementation of the said principles.
Liens Cours
European directive 89/686/CEE European directive which applies to individual protection equipment (EPI)
European directive which applies to individual protection equipment (EPI). It sets the conditions of their marketing, of their free circulation and the essential requirements which the EPIs must fulfill in order to preserve the health and safety of the users. The member states are required to take measures to ensure that EPIs put on the market protect the health and ensure the safety of the users, without compromising the health or the safety of other people, domestic animals or goods.
Liens Cours
fatal or disabling risks
Risk of fatal or disabling injury
Liens Cours
"Glass and fork" pictogram Pictogram which indicates compatibility with food
Regulation 1935/2004 and European Directives 82/711 and 85/572 lay down certain rules relating to materials which come into contact with food. They aim to prevent : a) dangerous substances contained in the material of the gloves migrating into the food. b) possible pathogenic micro-organisms on the surface of the skin contaminating the food.
Liens Cours
impregnation
Technique which allows a textile glove to be impregnated with a synthetic material such as latex, vinyl or nitrile
Liens Cours
Interlock
The term Interlock indicates a type of knitted inner lining of a glove, stretchable and comfortable to wear.
Liens Cours
length of time taken for chemical penetration
Time taken in minutes for the molecules of a chemical substance to pass through the protective membrane of a glove according to the test defined by the standard EN 374
Liens Cours
Level of risk CE
3 levels of risk have been defined by the European Commission regarding the gravity of risk to health : 1) minimal risk, 2) medium risk, 3) risk of death or irreversible injury.
medium risks
Dangers whose consequences for health may be long-lasting, but will not cause death or disablity.
Liens Cours
micro-organisms
Living micro-organism, such as viruses and bacteria
minimal risks
Risks which do not affect the health of the user or whose effects are easily reversible.
Liens Cours
penetration
Describes the passage of a chemical substance through imperfections or porosity in the material of the glove or through the seams of the glove
permeation
Spread at the molecular level of a chemical substance through the chemical material of which the glove is made. The permeation is measured by two criteria : the time taken to permeate the glove and the flow of the permeation. The flow of permeation is sometimes more significant than the time taken.
permeation flux
The permeation flux indicates the quantity of the substance which passes through a protective glove, by unit of surface and unit of time
Liens Cours
PPE Personal Protection Equipment
EPI means all equipment intended to be worn or held by the worker in order to protect him from one or more risks which may threaten his safety or health at work, as well as any additional item or accessory which serves the same purpose.
Liens Cours
reinforced
Reinforced gloves are composed of a glove made of a fabric, often cotton, of which the fingers and the palm of the hand are covered in a polymer, generally latex, PVC or nitrile. The fabric lining of reinforced gloves gives better protection against tears, cuts and abrasion, both in general use and in uses where resistance to chemical substances is required.
Liens Cours
risk category I
Gloves in everyday use which give protection against slight risk, such as for example thin rubber gloves intended for single use. The manufacturers are authorised to test and certify the gloves themselves.
Liens Cours
risk category II
Medium use gloves intended to protect against medium risk, such as for example gloves for manual work which require a good resistance to cuts, to perforation and abrasion. Manufacturers must have these gloves tested and certified by a recognised independent organisation authorised to award the CE mark which is essential for the gloves to be permitted to be marketed.
Liens Cours
risk category III
Gloves intended to protect against the highest level of risk, for example against chemicals. They must be tested and certified by an authorised organisation. Further, the quality control system used by the manufacturer to guarantee the homogeneity of the production or the constancy of the quality of the product must also be subject to independent checking. The organisation which carries out this evaluation will be indentified by a number which must appear next to the CE mark.
Liens Cours
sueded
Term which originally indicated gloves in chamois leather, supple, with a velvety surface, which absorb perspiration. By extension, this term is used by manufacturers of protective gloves to designate gloves whose inner surface is covered with an absorbent layer which prevents direct contact of the skin with the material of the gloves.
Liens Cours
velvet touch
Glove whose surface has been treated so as to obtain a surface which is soft to the touch.