Hand Protection
When things go wrong, it is often our hands that get hurt, as most work is done with our hands. Safe and effective protection of our hands is therefore extremely important. Our explanations will help you choose the right product.
We offer the right hand protection for every application.
Tips on the correct use of protective gloves
According to the PPE Directive (EU) 2016/425, the employer must examine and assess the risks at the workplace and provide workers with appropriate protective equipment. The employer is also required to instruct workers on the safe use of PPE.
Sensible rules for the use of protective gloves
- Each user is provided with their own protective gloves.
- Only use protective gloves with CE marking.
- Note individual fit. This reduces the risk of accidents.
- Change protective gloves in good time, especially if you sweat a lot under them. This avoids skin irritations.
- Use cotton undergloves to absorb sweat if necessary.
- Do not use defective protective gloves.
- Clean reusable protective gloves before taking them off.
- Use disposable protective gloves only once.
- Wash and dry hands before putting on gloves.
- Invert reusable protective gloves on the forearm.
What are the categories of protective gloves?
Product type
- General disposable gloves
- Laboratory gloves
- Cleanroom gloves
- Operating gloves
Purpose of protection
- Protection against allergies
- Protection against chemicals
- Protection against chemicals
- Protection against viruses
Material
- Nitrile
- Natural latex
- Nitrile and neoprene
- Neoprene
- Polyisoprene
- PVC (vinyl)
PPE protection class
- Category 1: Simple risk with little or no risk of injury.
- Category 2: Medium risk for more hazardous activities, including mechanical risks.
- Fatal risks or hazards that can cause serious and irreversible damage to health, such as contact with chemicals, heat and extreme cold.
Other distinguishing features
- Sterility
- Clean room class
- Length and size
Frequently asked questions:
What does AQL mean?
AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Level. The Acceptable Quality Level indicates the maximum percentage of defective parts in a batch without having to draw negative conclusions about the quality of the entire production.
AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Level.
A sampling system is defined for reliable quality assurance. The AQL number, a percentage indication of the permissible proportion of defects in the batch, and the inspection level determine whether a production meets the quality standards.
The sampling procedures for quality assurance are defined.
The sampling procedures and their acceptable quality limits are described in five parts of ISO 3951. The representative part must be referred to depending on the quality characteristic(s) and sampling procedures required.
What requirements must a protective glove fulfil?
There are general and specific requirements for protective gloves. EN 420 defines general requirements. It specifies the relevant test methods to be used for all protective gloves and the general requirements and labelling to be carried out. It is to be used in conjunction with the specific standards for the areas of application. A performance indicator is introduced for any test criteria of the relevant standards. A high performance indicator is indicative of a high performance level. A performance indicator of 0 indicates that no testing has taken place.
What are the requirements for single-use medical gloves?
These requirements are defined in EN 455.
Part 1: Specifies requirements and leak testing for single-use medical gloves to protect the patient and the user from contamination.
Part 2: Specifies requirements and testing methods of the physical properties of single-use medical gloves to ensure that adequate protection from contamination is provided and maintained for the patient and user when in use.
Part 3: Adverse reactions are often caused by specific allergens that may be present in gloves. Several factors influence the risk of triggering such reactions. Part 3 of EN 455 specifies requirements for the assessment of the biological safety of disposable medical gloves as part of risk management in accordance with EN ISO 10993.
Part 4: Specifies requirements for the minimum shelf life of single-use medical gloves.
What are the requirements for protective gloves against mechanical hazards?
These requirements are defined in EN 388. This standard specifies all the requirements and test methods for gloves for protection against mechanical risks. In particular, gloves are tested and evaluated for their abrasion, cut, tear and puncture resistance. The protective function against mechanical injuries is indicated by a pictogram and four letters (performance index). They indicate the respective performance levels.
What are the requirements for protective gloves against thermal risks?
These requirements are defined in EN 407. This sets out all the requirements and test methods for gloves that protect the user against fire, contact heat, convective heat, radiant heat and small and large quantities of liquid metal.
The type of glove and the test methods are defined in EN 407.
The type and degree of protection is indicated by a pictogram referring to specific protective properties. According to the area of use, only test procedures relevant to the application must be carried out. If an “X” is indicated instead of one of these figures, it means that this protective property has not been tested.
What are the requirements for protective gloves against cold?
These requirements are defined in EN 511. This standard contains specifications for gloves that are intended to protect the user against cold. In particular, convection cold, contact cold and water resistance are tested according to DIN ISO 15383. The protective function against cold is indicated by a pictogram and three performance indices in conjunction with the specific protective properties.
What are the requirements for protective gloves against chemicals and microorganisms?
These requirements are defined in EN 374. This standard specifies the characteristics of gloves to protect the user against chemicals and/or microorganisms. It applies in conjunction with the basic standard DIN EN 420 and does not specify requirements against any hazards due to mechanical stress. Reference is made here to DIN EN 388.
DIN EN 374 consists of four parts:
Part 1: Terminology and performance requirements This standard specifies requirements that protect the user against chemicals and/or microorganisms and defines common terms.
Part 2: Determination of resistance to penetration by chemicals. This standard describes a test method for the resistance to penetration of gloves protecting against chemicals and/or microorganisms.
Part 2: Determination of resistance to penetration of chemicals and/or microorganisms.
Part 3: Determination of resistance to permeation of chemicals. This standard covers the determination of the resistance of materials for protective gloves to the permeation of potentially hazardous non-gaseous chemicals under the condition of continuous contact.
Part 4: Determination of resistance to degradation by chemicals. This European Standard specifies the test method for the determination of the resistance of materials for protective gloves to degradation by hazardous chemicals in continuous contact.
How can I find out for which chemical which glove offers protection?
Use our chemical protection glove selection guide for guidance.