Collection: EN 374 Gloves

EN 374 Gloves Explained

EN 374 is the European standard for protective gloves that provide resistance against chemicals and microorganisms. These gloves are essential in environments where workers are exposed to hazardous substances, including laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturing, cleaning, agriculture and certain healthcare settings.

To achieve EN 374 certification, gloves must pass a series of tests designed to assess their barrier performance and chemical resistance:

EN ISO 374-1: Chemical Permeation Resistance This assesses how well the glove protects against dangerous chemicals. Gloves are tested for permeation - the process by which a chemical passes through the glove material on a molecular level.

Chemicals are categorised into three protection types:

Type A: Protects against at least 6 chemicals for ≥ 30 minutes.

Type B: Protects against at least 3 chemicals for ≥ 30 minutes.

Type C: Protects against 1 chemical for ≥ 10 minutes.

A pictogram showing a beaker with the corresponding type (A, B, or C) is used on packaging.

EN ISO 374-2: Resistance to Penetration

Tests the glove for physical penetration by air or water, ensuring there are no holes or tears that could allow contaminants through. This is crucial for protecting against both microorganisms and chemicals.

EN ISO 374-4: Degradation Resistance

Measures physical degradation of the glove when exposed to chemicals (e.g. swelling, disintegration, hardening). Results are expressed as a percentage of degradation for each tested chemical.

EN ISO 374-5: Protection Against Microorganisms

Certifies whether gloves offer protection against bacteria, fungi viruses.

Gloves marked with the microorganism pictogram (a biohazard symbol) protect against bacteria and fungi.