WORKWEAR BLOG

Protective gloves, as well as any other personal protective equipment, should be conformable with the basic requirements of the European Community Council Directive No. 89/686/ECC of December 21, 1989 (with later amendments)1. All protective gloves, which are launched onto the EU’s market, should - regardless of their category - be subject of conformity assessment and marked with the CE mark of conformity. Therefore, a potential user of protective gloves should select only these brands which fulfil the criteria of the above-mentioned Directive and which are marked with the CE mark. There are different conformity assessment procedures, depending which category of hazard level applies to studied gloves.
Gloves, protecting against mild mechanical injuries with superficial, slow and gradual occurrence of sideeffects, easily identifiable in time by the user of gloves, are assigned to simple personal protective equipment, i.e., to Category I. Gardening gloves, which protect against mechanical hazards with superficial effects, may be a good example. In case of protective gloves in Category I, taking into consideration the conformity assessment procedure, the manufacturer ensures conformity of the gloves with the general requirements of the Directive, prepares technical documentation, including the user’s manual, issues the declaration of conformity with the provisions of the Directive and, finally, marks the product with the CE mark of conformity. Protective gloves against mechanical hazards which may result in injuries more extensive than superficial changes, including gloves, which protect against cuts and punctures, are assigned to Category II of personal protective equipment. Following the conformity assessment procedure, these gloves are subject of EC-type examination, performed by a notified body, which issues a certificate of EC type examination. Only then may the manufacturer issue the declaration of conformity and mark the gloves with the CE mark of conformity.
Protective gloves, assigned to Category II of personal protective equipment, are marked with appropriate pictograms, designating the type of hazard against which the gloves protect. These pictograms are not used for marking gloves in Category I. In order to provide evidence of the product conformity with the requirements of 89/686/ EEC Directive, the gloves are submitted to tests and evaluations, according to directive-harmonised standards. Depending on the type of gloves and, in particular, the type of their application, various European standards are referenced to verify the product conformity with the requirements of the Directive. The harmonised standards, defining the testing methods and requirements for glove resistance to cuts and punctures, include the following European standards: EN 388:2003 2, EN ISO 13997:19993, EN 1082- 1:19964, EN 1082-2:20005, EN 1082-3:20026, EN 14328:20057, EN 381-7:19998, EN 381-4:19999. The reference to harmonised standards is not obligatory but it is a tool which enables verification of product conformity with Directive requirements. Therefore, the requirements, defined in those standards, are the base of reference, both for product manufacturers and for notified bodies.