Dedicated to our distribution partners, access our exclusive contents and services
Select our gloves and compare them
0 gloves
Find out all the norms and reglementations for your safety
Discover which material matches with your risks
89/686/CEE Category I - Minor risks Category II - Intermediate risks Category III - Irreversible risks
For category III items, the number of the notified body attending the inspection and production phase appears below the CE mark.
* Printed on the packs or on the information leaflet packed with Showa gloves
EN388 Specified and tested levels of resistance to the following risks:
The numbers below the symbol indicate the level of resistance achieved by the glove (from left to right) to abrasion, cutting, tearing and puncture.
| Resistance (level) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrasion (cycles) | < 100 | 100 | 500 | 2000 | 8000 | - |
| Cutting (index) | < 1,2 | 1,2 | 2,5 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| Tearing (newtons) | < 10 | 10 | 25 | 50 | 75 | - |
| Puncture (newtons) | < 20 | 20 | 60 | 100 | 150 | - |
EN374-2 The glove is considered to be resistant to microorganisms if it has successfully undergone the penetration test (air and/or water leak test) and if it meets at least level 2 of the penetration test set out in the table below:
| Performance level | Unit of acceptable quality level | ISO 2859 inspection levels |
|---|---|---|
| Level 3 | < 0,65 | G1 |
| Level 2 | < 1,5 | G1 |
| Level 1 | < 4,0 | S4 |
EN374-3 Tested level (0 to 6) of time taken for various chemicals to pass through the glove (permeation).
| Measured breakthrough time | Permeation performance index |
|---|---|
| >10 | 1 |
| >30 | 2 |
| >60 | 3 |
| >120 | 4 |
| >240 | 5 |
| >480 | 6 |
If the glove shows the first symbol, it has achieved a performance index at least equal to 2 for three of the chemicals listed below:
| Letter code | Chemical | CAS number | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Methanol | 67-56-1 | Primary alcohol |
| B | Acetone | 67-64-1 | Ketone |
| C | Acetonitrile | 75-05-8 | Nitrile |
| D | Dichloromethane | 75-09-2 | Chlorinated hydrocarbon |
| E | Carbon disulphide | 75-15-0 | Organic compound containing sulphur |
| F | Toluene | 108-88-3 | Aromatic hydrocarbon |
| G | Diethylamine | 109-89-7 | Amine |
| H | Tetrahydrofurane | 109-99-9 | Heterocyclic ether |
| I | Ethyl acetate | 141-78-6 | Ester |
| J | n-Heptane | 142-85-5 | Saturated hydrocarbon |
| K | Caustic soda 40% | 1310-73-2 | Inorganic base |
| L | Sulphuric acid 96% | 7664-93-9 | Inorganic mineral acid |
If the glove shows the second symbol, it has not met the conditions required for the first symbol.
EN511 Tested levels of glove performance in terms of the following risks:
If the glove shows this symbol, it has achieved a performance index for (from left to right) climatic cold or industrial cold transmitted by convection, climatic cold or industrial cold transmitted by contact, impermeability to water.
Tested level of glove surface resistivity. Measured in ohms/square (Ω), this indicates the capacity of the glove to disperse via a dissipative and/or conductive effect the accumulated static electricity discharges on the operator's hand.
EN407
Specified and tested levels of performance to the following risks:
The sign X, instead of a number, means that the glove is not designed for the use covered by the corresponding test.
The numbers below the symbol indicate the level of performance achieved by the glove (from left to right) to burning behavior, contact heat, convective heat, radiant heat, small splashes of molten metal and large quantities of molten metal.
Contact Heat
| Performance level | contact heat (°C) | Threshold time (s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | ≥ 15 |
| 2 | 250 | ≥ 15 |
| 3 | 350 | ≥ 15 |
| 4 | 500 | ≥ 15 |
93/42/CEE Part 1: Requirement and testing for freedom from holes
Part 2: Requirement and testing for physical properties
Part 3: Requirement and testing for biological evaluation
Part 4: Requirement and testing for shelf life determination
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10,5 % chromium content by mass. Stainless steel does not corrode, rust or stain with water as ordinary steel does. Stainless steel can be combined with another fiber in order to significantly improve the cut resistance. When adding this reinforcement to another fiber, EN 388:2003 cut levels of 4/5 become possible. Stainless steel adds significant cut resistance to gloves however the testing procedures (both EN388:2003, ISO 13997-1999 and ASTM F1790) have difficulties showing the true protection level as the tests are both based on the cutting blade contacting a metal surface to stop the test. The steel yarn gives the machine a "false" read and ends the test...
It is lightweight, supple, comfortable, washable. It provides effective protection from cuts (above level 5, with stainless steel reinforcing) and from convective heat and offers durability and performance that far exceed that of leather (5 times higher) and cotton (3 times higher).
High performance polyethylene is flexible, light and durable. As resistant to cutting as a para-aramid but with more resistance to abrasion (ten times more resistant to flexion than a wire), it remains resistant to chemicals, in particular solvents.
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass. Glass fiber can be combined with another fiber in order to improve the cut resistance. It makes the liner surface so slippery that the blade "slides" over the yarn and dulls the microscopic edge of the blade.
Natural cellulose fiber. Flexible, soft and non-irritating, it protects against mechanical aggression (impacts, low vibration, iron filings, splinters, glass fragments), absorbs perspiration and gives you great comfort when wearing dipped protective gloves continuously. Cotton fibers are mixed with polyester fibers in order to associate comfort with a higher mechanical resistance and more elasticity.
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Polyester fabrics can provide specific advantages over natural fabrics, such as improved wrinkle resistance, durability and high color retention.
A lightweight elastic polyamide which is largely lint-free and washable, dries quickly and is resistant to abrasion and deformation. Mixed with cotton and acrylic, it makes the glove more flexible and extends its lifetime.
Anti-slip vulcanised synthetic rubber.
Natural rubber mainly from latex and the rubber tree.
Impermeable plastic.
Polychloroprene synthetic rubber.
Synthetic rubber polymer for heavy chemical protection.
Synthetic rubber polymer – the last resort.
Plastic that is microporous elastomer.
