Standards
General Information Concerning the Protection of Your Hands
Protective gloves or chemical-protective gloves are a part of personal protective equipment (PPE). To avoid the large number of possibilities of injuries, especially at the place of work, the condition and quality of the gloves must fulfil the demands of the PPE guidelines 89/686/EEC (use of personal protective equipment) and comply with current safety standards.
Thereby the various risks are classified in different ways. A labelling system has been developed to help you select the right protective glove when purchasing. There are three hazard categories. All Jugitec® series gloves have been designed to comply with the highest protective category III, and, depending on the model, they fulfil the demands of DIN EN 388 ("Protective gloves against mechanical risks") and DIN EN 374 ("Protective gloves against chemicals and micro-organisms"). They are approved annually by an accredited certification authority.
Protection Classes for Gloves
Category I for minimal risks: the protective requirements are low; gloves in a simple version are adequate, e.g. household gloves. These gloves may be tested by the manufacturer and in addition to the item name, item size, item number and manufacturer’s address, may be labelled with the CE mark.
Category II for medium risks: gloves in this category protect against mechanical hazards meaning cuts, abrasion, puncturing and tear propagation. They are certified by independent testing institutes. Category II gloves display the CE mark, the DIN EN 388 pictogram for mechanical hazards and performance labels. In addition they also display the instruction symbol "i", the item name, the item size, the item number and the manufacturer’s address. The name and address of the certification authority can be found in the glove’s product manual.
Category III for high risks / protection against irreversible and fatal hazards: the protective gloves display material and usage properties, which when used correctly and carefully protect against the above mentioned hazards. Apart from the CE mark, the labelling on the glove displays the identification number of the accredited testing institute and the DIN EN 388 and DIN EN 374 pictograms. Additionally the gloves display performance labels, instruction symbol "i", item name, item size, item number and the manufacturer’s address.
Please note: protective gloves only provide temporary and limited protection! Through extensive testing we have tested Jugitec® models for their specific robustness. Exact details are provided in the instruction manual. If used properly and carefully you will enjoy optimal protection provided by a product of excellent quality.
DIN EN 388
This standard describes the Europe-wide requirements for gloves for protection against the mechanical risks of puncturing, cutting, abrasion and tear resistance. In addition to this it defines the testing procedure, the labelling and manufacturer's information concerning the protective gloves.
Glove Labelling
The "mechanical process" pictogram can be recognised by the hammer symbol on the glove. Below this is a four digit code, e.g. "3442". This code indicates:
[Digit 1] Abrasion resistance (Classification 0 – 4)
[Digit 2] Cut resistance (Classification 0 – 5)
[Digit 3] Tear resistance (Classification 0 – 4)
[Digit 4] Puncture resistance (Classification 0 – 4)
In all cases "0" displays the lowest level of performance.
| Test | Level of Performance | |||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Abrasion resistance (Cycles) | <100 | 100 | 500 | 2000 | 8000 | |
| Cut resistance (Factor) | <1,2 | 1,2 | 2,5 | 5,0 | 10,0 | 20,0 |
| Tear resistance (in Newton) | <10 | 10 | 25 | 50 | 75 | |
| Puncture resistance (in Newton) | <20 | 20 | 60 | 100 | 150 | |
DIN EN 374
This European standard stipulates the properties necessary for gloves for the protection against the penetration of micro-organisms and / or chemicals. The standard also defines the terminology and lists the requirements.
Penetration
The penetration of endangering micro-organisms and / or chemicals through holes in protective gloves. Gloves are tested for air and water tightness with the help of air leakage tests and water leakage tests. These tests are based on the AQL value (Acceptable Quality Level).
The "micro-organism" pictogram can be found on the glove if the penetration test achieves at least performance level 2.
| Performance Level | AQL-Value | Inspection Level |
| Level 3 | < 0,65 | G1 |
| Level 2 | < 1,5 | G1 |
| Level 1 | < 4,0 | S4 |
Permeation
If the glove comes in contact with hazardous chemicals, these will pass through the glove after a certain period of time. The time it takes for chemicals to pass though the glove depends on the glove material and the type of chemical; this enables the determination of the permeation. The manufacturer’s information must contain a list of permeation tested chemicals with their individual protection index. In addition, the manufacturer must restrict these details by indicating that individual conditions at a place of work prevent the determination of exact details concerning the duration of protection. Specific surrounding conditions including temperature and abrasion may affect the material stability of a protective glove in a negative manner.
Glove Labelling 
The "chemical resistance" pictogram is symbolised by an Erlenmeyer flask and can be seen on the appropriate gloves together with the test standard number, three identification letters and the number of the protection class. The identification letters below the pictogram come from 12 testing chemicals specified in the standard, plus additional testing chemicals determined as having a permeation time of a minimum of 30 minutes.
| Identification Letter | Testing Chemical | CAS-Number |
Class |
| A | Methanol | 67-56-1 | Primary Alcohol |
| B | Acetone | 67-64-1 | Ketone |
| C | Acetonitrile | 75-05-8 | Nitrile Compound |
| D | Dichloromethane | 75-09-2 | Chlorinated Paraffin |
| E | Carbon Disulphide | 75-15-0 | Sulphur with organic compound |
| F | Toluene | 108-88-3 | Aromatic Hydrocarbon |
| G | Diethylamine | 109-89-7 | Amine |
| H | Tetrahydrofuran | 109-99-9 | Heterocyclic and Ether Compound |
| I | Ethyl Acetate | 141-78-6 | Ester |
| J | n-Heptane | 142-85-5 | Aliphatic Hydrocarbon |
| K | Sodium Hydroxide 40% | 1310-73-2 | Inorganic Base |
| L | Sulphuric Acid 96% | 7664-93-9 | Inorganic Acid |
The time it takes the chemicals to pass through the material during chemical tests is classified in protection classes ranging from zero to six; "0" always displays the lowest level of performance. If the permeation duration of a glove type achieves at least class 2with three testing chemicals then it is considered as being resistant against chemicals.
Class 0 < 10 min
Class 1 > 10 min
Class 2 > 30 min
Class 3 > 60 min
Class 4 > 120 min
Class 5 > 240 min
Class 6 > 480 min
The "low resistance against chemicals" or "water tightness" pictogram is symbolised by a beaker with a question mark inside. This means only limited protection against chemicals and is displayed on gloves that do not fulfil the standard for at least one of the above mentioned class 2 testing chemicals, but have passed the penetration test. The pictogram is displayed together with the symbol for information ("i"), which refers to the manufacturer’s glove information.
If you still have any questions please contact us at 06251 / 96 34-0 or [email protected] Our customer service will be happy to provide you with assistance or take your order.
