Directive 89/686 / EEC introduces three categories of risk for personal protective equipment:
Gloves in this category are intended to protect the user from minimal injuries that might occur during for example cleanling, washing. Also suitable for gardening and other work where risk for lighter injuries.
This category of gloves are intended to protect the user from injuries that are not classified like minimal or very high. The gloves must be marked with a pictogram showing the gloves protection properties and are tested according to the standards at an accredited test institute. All category 2 gloves are validated and certified by a Notified Body to show the validity of protection.
Gloves in this category protects against risks that may cause very serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health. The gloves must be marked with pictograms showing the gloves protection properties and must be tested at an accredited test institute. They must also be validated and certified, for both type and production control, by a Notified Body to show the validity of protection.
This standard defines the general requirements valid for all protective gloves.
The glove itself shall not be a risk to wear or cause injuries to the user. If the glove contains any substances known to cause allergic reactions, it shall be stated in the product information.
This standard has no pictogram.
The glove sizes are standardized according to minimum length, show below in chart.
| GLOVE SIZE | HAND MEASURMENT | HAND LENGHT | MINIMUM LENGTH OF THE GLOVE |
| 6 | 152 | 160 | 220 |
| 7 | 178 | 171 | 230 |
| 8 | 203 | 182 | 240 |
| 9 | 229 | 192 | 250 |
| 10 | 254 | 204 | 260 |
| 11 | 279 | 215 | 270 |
Hand size; Hand measurements (mm): Diameter, Length; Glove size; Minimum glove length.
Protective gloves against mechanical risks.
According to this standard, characteristics such as abrasion resistance, cut resistance, tearing strength, puncture resistance and impact protection are tested. In conjunction with the pictogram, four numbers and one, or two letters, will be displayed. These signs indicate the performance of the glove.
| LEVEL | ABRASION RESISTANCE | CUT RESISTANCE | TEAR RESISTANCE | PUNCTURE RESISTANCE |
| 1 | 100 | 1,2 | 10 | 20 |
| 2 | 500 | 2,5 | 25 | 60 |
| 3 | 2000 | 5 | 50 | 100 |
| 4 | 8000 | 10 | 75 | 150 |
| 5 | 20 |
Abrasion resistance.
The protection level is indicated on a scale of 1 to 4 depending on the number of turns required until a hole appears in the material. The higher the number is, the better the resistance to abrasion.
Cut resistance.
The cut protection is tested. The protection level is given by a number between 1 and 5, where 5 indicates the highest cut protection.
Tearing strength.
The force required to tear the glove material apart is measured. The protection level is indicated by a number between 1 and 4, where 4 indicates the strongest material.
Puncture resistance.
Based on the amount of force required to puncture the material with a tip. The protection function is indicated by a number between 1 and 4, where 4 indicates the strongest material.
ISO 13997:1999 – Determination of resistance to cutting by sharp objects, show in chart.
| Protection level | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| Cut resistance (N) | 2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 30 |
An alternative cut test recommended for cut protection gloves. Level of protection is given in Newton, the force needed for cut through at 20mm cut length. The result is given by a letter, A to F, where F indicates the highest level of protection. If there is a letter X, then the test was not carried out.
Another test is impact protection.
| Protection level | P |
| Impact protection
EN 13594:2015 |
Positive result (Level 1 ≤ 9 kN) |
If the glove has an impact protection, this information is given by the letter P as the 6th and last sign. If no P sign, no impact protection is claimed.
Protective gloves against cold.
In cold environments it is extra important to protect the hands from cold burns. This standard measure how well the glove can withstand both convective cold and contact cold. In addition, water permeation is tested after 30 minutes.
The signs under the pictogram mean:
1.The glove protects against convective cold (performance level 0-4).
2.The glove protects against contact cold (performance level 0-4).
3. The glove protection against water penetration (performance 0 or 1) where 0 indicates “water penetration after 30 minutes” and 1 indicates “no water penetration after 30 minutes”).