Gloves that protect against chemicals and microorganisms.
This standard specifies the requirements for gloves that protect the wearer against chemicals and microorganisms and defines relevant terminology.
EN 374-1:2003 GLOVES PROVIDING PROTECTION AGAINST CHEMICALS AND MICROORGANISMS – PART 1: TERMINOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
The standard should be used in conjunction with EN 420 and is superseded by NEN EN ISO 374-1:2016 Gloves providing protection against dangerous chemicals and microorganisms – Part 1: Terminology and performance requirements for chemical risks. Accordingly, this standard indicates the capacity of gloves to protect the wearer against chemicals and microorganisms.
Definitions:
Degradation is determined according to the change in a material’s integrity following its exposure to chemicals. The rate of degradation depends on the chemical the glove has come in contact with.
Penetration is the flow of chemicals and microorganisms through porous materials, seams, small holes, and material defects.
Permeation occurs when a chemical passes through a material on a molecular level and is defined as the penetration of a chemical’s molecule through a glove’s outer surface. This process takes place in three phases:
•Absorption of the flow of molecules in contact with the glove’s outer surface
•Diffusion of molecules through the glove’s material
•Desorption or the outward flow of molecules from inside the glove
The waterproof/low chemical resistance pictogram:
EN374 1
The waterproof/low chemical resistance pictogram appears on gloves that have not achieved an EN 374-3 breakthrough time of, at minimum, 30 minutes against at least three of the 12 designated chemicals indicated in the EN 374-2 penetration test list.
The chemical resistance pictogram:
EN374 2
ABC
The chemical resistance pictogram must be accompanied by a code, generally consisting of three letters, that indicates which of the 12 designated chemicals the glove has achieved a breakthrough time of at least 30 minutes against (see EN 374-3).
The microorganism glove pictogram:
EN374 3
The microorganism pictogram indicates that a glove has achieved a performance level of X through the penetration test described in EN 374-2.
