Standards and Marking

It defines the welding performances and distinguishes them between TYPE A and TYPE B, where TYPE A refers to high performance gloves but, consequently, with low dexterity, whereas TYPE B refers to gloves with high dexterity but with lower performances.

 1 (100 cycles)

 6

 300 / 11,8”

 1 (index 1,2)

 1 (index 1,2)

 2 (25 N)

 1 (10 N)

 10 (XL)

 11 (XXL)

It defines the protection from at least one kind of cold, convective and contact cold, while waterproofness is optional:

MARKING

A. Convective cold

Thermal insulation value
I_TR (m^₂ K/W)

0,10 ≤ I_TR < 0,15

0,15 ≤ I_TR < 0,22

0,22 ≤ I_TR < 0,30

0,30 ≤ I_TR

B. Cold contact

Thermal resistance R (m² K/W)

0,025 ≤ R < 0,050

0,050 ≤ R < 0,100

0,100 ≤ R < 0,150

0,150 ≤ R

C. Water resistance *

0
Not achieved

*The performance level 1 indicates that no water transit occurred at the end of the trial period.  When this requirement is not fulfilled, it is indicated with performance level 0 and the gloves if they are wet can lose their insulating capacities.
If one of the marking indexes is marked with:
• letter “X” means that the test wasn’t executed or not applicable;
• number “0” means that the test was executed but the minimum performance level hasn’t been achieved.

Protection against chemicals

The glove marked with the pictogram on the side achieves a minimum permeation performance level of 2 for at least three chemicals.

Impermeability to water and low chemical protection
A glove marked with this pictogram (“Low chemical protection and impermeability to water”) complies with the penetration test and reaches a permeation performance level of at least 2 (a breakthrough time of at least 30 minutes) for less than three chemicals on the list.

EN 455-1:2020 - Requirements and testing for freedom from holes
It specifies requirements for medical gloves for single use and specifies the requirements and testing for freedom from holes (water leakage test to assure freedom from holes, sampling, control level and AQL).

EN 455-2:2015 - Requirements and testing for physical properties
It specifies requirements and gives test methods for physical properties of single use medical gloves (dimensions and resistance) in order to ensure that they provide and maintain in use an adequate level of protection from cross contamination for both patient and user.

EN 455-3:2015 - Requirements and testing for biological evaluation
It specifies requirements and testing for biological evaluation. It provides for requirements for labelling and packaging of gloves, as well as information issuing referring to used test methods.

EN 455-4:2009 - Requirements and testing for shelf life determination
It specifies requirements for shelf life for medical gloves for single use. It also specifies the requirements for labelling and the disclosure of information relevant to the test methods used.

This European Standard provides additional requirements for protective gloves that are worn in areas where flammable or explosive areas exist or might be present. It specifies a test method and requirements for performance, marking and information for electrostatic dissipative protective gloves to minimize explosion risks. This European Standard does not cover protection of electronic devices, protection against mains voltages, insulative protective gloves for live working (EN 60903), protective gloves for welders (EN 12477).

Part 2: Test method for measurement of the electrical resistance through a material (vertical resistance)

This European Standard specifies a test method for measuring the electrical vertical resistance of protective clothing materials. This European Standard is not applicable for specifying protection against mains voltages.

Part 1: Test method for measurement of surface resistivity

 This standard specifies a test method for materials used in the production of electrostatic dissipative protective clothing (or gloves), to avoid incendiary charges.

The EU Directive 1999/92/EC (Atex Directive) indicates the requirements for safety and health protection of workers potentially exposed to the risk of explosive atmospheres. COFRA gloves comply with all requirements about the materials and the designing required by the standard UNI EN 16350:2014 (electrostatic properties): they avoid that electrostatic discharges cause fires, thus making the glove suitable to be used in ATEX environments (CEN/CLC/TR 16832:2015).

The resistance of a substrate to oil absorption is evaluated by testing the resistance to absorption of a selected series of liquid hydrocarbons of different surface tensions. The result can reach grades between 0 and 8.

The products intended to be in direct contact with food must bear the symbol “glass and fork”, complying with EC no.1935/2004 regulation (“Materials and items intended to come in contact with food”) and especially the gloves have to comply with the more specific EU no.10/2011 Regulation (“Plastic materials and items intended to come in contact with food”). This means that all the materials used to manufacture gloves must not pose a danger to human health and they must not cause any change in the composition or a deterioration of foodstuffs. For this purpose the foodstuffs are classified into 5 groups and the compliance of gloves in contact with any of them is tested. Therefore a glove can be suitable for the contact with some groups of food and not suitable for others. For correct information about the kinds of food for any glove, the manufacturing companies must issue information through the Declaration of Conformity.

OEKO-TEX® is a voluntary certification of product through which the certified company commits itself to keep in time the safeness of its own products. The OEKO-TEX® 100 mark guarantees that the textiles (or accessories of the textiles, metallic ones included) do not contain or release harmful substances for the consumer (pesticides, heavy metals, formaldehyde, aromatic amines, allergy inducing dyestuffs and so on). OEKO-TEX® certified gloves fully comply with the requirements of standard EN ISO 21420:2020 and they abide by the requirements of the attachment XVII of REACH (regulation 552:2009) having the textile product as area of pertinence.

GRS is recognised as the most relevant international standard for the sustainable production of garments and fabric products made from recycled materials. The standard acknowledges the relevance of recycling for the growth of a sustainable production and consumption model, aiming at reducing the consumption of resources (virgin raw materials, water and energy), and improving the quality of recycled products. 
GRS stipulates the issuing of a third-party verified environmental declaration (T/C transaction certificate) ensuring: their products (both intermediate and finished) contain recycled materials; the traceability throughout the entire production process; restrictions on the use of chemical products, and compliance with environmental and social criteria at all stages of the production chain, to the subsequent manufacturing stages, and the labelling of the finished product. The stages not covered by the certification are collection, sorting, selection and grouping of waste materials.

In order to safeguard the consumers’ health, the European Union issued the REACH regulation (come into force on 1st June 2007) which forbids the use of certain chemicals. COFRA guarantees that all its gloves comply with the REACH regulation; they do not contain forbidden or limited substances (Aromatic amines and 4-aminobenzoic acid deriving from azo dyes, heavy metals, phthalates, and so on) and, to guarantee it, all garments and accessories used during production are subjected to controls.

New product conformity marking, used for most of the products placed on the Great Britain market (England, Wales and Scotland) now covered by regulations and directives for EC marking.

Technical regulation on the safety of Personal Protective Equipment distributed in the territory of the Eurasian Customs Union.