What is EN388 all about?

by | Jun 16, 2020 | Gloves Standards

EN388 is the European standard used to evaluate mechanical risks for glove products.

According to this standard, characteristics such as abrasion resistance, cut resistance, tearing strength, puncture resistance and impact protection are tested.

In conjunction with pictogram, four numbers with one, or two letters, will be displayed. These signs indicate the performance of the glove.

 

Hubspot content (1)

What does EN388 mean on gloves?

As mentioned above, there are always 4 numbers in the EN388 pictogram on the gloves.

Blade cut resistance is rated 1-5, while all other physical performance factors are rated 1-4. The higher the number, the better resistance the glove has.

 

1. The first number tells you how well the gloves resist abrasion.

If you are looking for gloves that can handle rough materials, gloves with high abrasion rating are suitable for this purpose, especially for construction works, industrial work, gardening job etc.

 

2. The second number tells you the gloves resistance to blade cuts.

Gloves with good cut resistance are widely being used in handling sheet metal, sharp tools, knife, glasses etc.

 

3. The third number tells you the tearing strength of the gloves.

Gloves with high tearing strength are suitable for heavy duty job.

 

4. The fourth number tells you how well the gloves resist puncture.

Suitable for waste handling work eg. handling needles, thorns etc.

 

What does the alphabet mean on EN388?

The pictogram usually come in 1 or 2 alphabet after the numbers, the first alphabet stands for the cut resistance TDM test performance, rated from A to F, where F is the highest level. If it is not tested, it will be marked as “X” in the example shown in the pictogram above.

The second alphabet stands for the impact protection performance. It will be rated as “P” (Pass) or “F” (Fail). When it is not tested, it will be left blank. In the example above, since the second alphabet is being left blank, it means that the impact protection is not tested.

 

Final thoughts

We hope that this article might help to clarify what EN388 is and how to interpret them in a simple manner.

Get in touch with us if you’re interested in learning more about what we have to offer or would like some professional advice from one of our experts.

If you’re interested in reading more articles like this, subscribe to our blog and follow our Linkedin page for the latest updates.

 

You May Also Like……

Be The First To Know About Our Latest Insights – Subscribe To Our Blog Today!

 

By subscribing to our blog, you’ll be the first to know about our latest articles and insights.

Simply enter your name and email address in the form below, and select the topics that interest you.

We promise to never share your information with anyone else, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.