Hand protection at work: a guide to standards, risks and glove selection

Voussert offers its professional clients a wide range of personal protective equipment, from hand, foot, body, and head protection. Whether for short-term use with protective masks made in France or for safety footwear, compliance with standards is essential. Hand protection requires a thorough analysis of standards and industry requirements to ensure the right choice.
This guide, which may seem complex, summarizes what every professional buyer needs to know and understand.
Protecting hands at work involves a four-step process: assessing the risks, choosing a glove that complies with European regulations on personal protective equipment (PPE) and the relevant risk standard, verifying its suitability for the task and the user's hand shape, and then using, maintaining, and replacing it correctly. Gloves should only be used as a last resort, after the risk has been eliminated or reduced.
This reference guide is intended for industrial site managers, local authority technical departments, cleaning companies, catering services, and safety professionals. It explains the risks, the regulatory framework, how to read standards (EN 388, EN ISO 374, EN 407, EN 511, etc.), material selection, and best practices for use. Voussert has been equipping professionals since 1981: discover our range of work gloves and the rest of our personal protective equipment .
The 5 key points to remember:
- Assess the risk before choosing: mechanical, chemical, biological, thermal, cold, electrostatic, food contact.
- Check the CE marking, the PPE category and the pictograms with their levels.
- Choose the material and standard that are appropriate for the substance or task, not just for the thickness of the glove.
- Adjust size, length, finish and wearing time to maintain dexterity and comfort.
- Check, replace and train: a torn or poorly chosen glove gives a false sense of security.

What are the risks to hands in the workplace?

Hands are exposed to nine major risk categories, each associated with a European standard that defines tests and performance levels.

Added to this is the risk of skin irritation from the gloves themselves. According to the INRS (National Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases), the skin can be damaged by chemicals, detergents, prolonged exposure to water, as well as by dirt and grease that clog pores. Prolonged wear of non-breathable gloves, allergies to natural latex proteins, or an unsuitable size are frequent causes of dermatitis: these can be prevented by carefully choosing the material, the interior finish, and the duration of wear.

Insulating gloves against electrical hazards fall under a separate standard (EN 60903) and are not detailed here. For disposable gloves, please consult our disposable glove guide .

The regulatory framework: PPE regulations, categories and employer obligations

A protective glove is personal protective equipment (PPE): it must comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/425, and the employer must provide it, adapt it to the risk and inform users according to the Labour Code.

Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and CE marking

Regulation (EU) 2016/425, applicable since 21 April 2018, requires manufacturers to design PPE that meets essential health and safety requirements, to compile technical documentation, to have conformity assessed according to the category, to draw up an EU declaration of conformity, and to affix the CE marking. They must also provide an information leaflet written in an easily understandable language. The exclusion provided for in Article 2 applies only to private use (for example, water when washing dishes at home): in a professional setting, gloves are subject to the regulation.

The three categories of PPE

The category of PPE depends on the severity of the risk it covers, not on its material: the more serious the risk, the more demanding the conformity assessment.

What the Labor Code says

Four articles govern the selection, supply, and information of glove users:
- Article R4321-4 : the employer shall provide, as needed, the appropriate PPE and ensure its effective use (text).
- Article R4323-91 : PPE is appropriate to the risks to be prevented and to the working conditions, does not create additional risk and is worn in conditions compatible with ergonomics (text).
- Article R4323-95 : PPE is provided free of charge, the employer ensures its proper functioning and hygienic condition through the necessary maintenance, repairs and replacements (text).
- Article R4323-104 : the employer informs users of the risks covered, the conditions of use, the instructions and the conditions of making available (text).
These obligations are part of the risk assessment and the single risk assessment document. The INRS (National Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases) reiterates that PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) remains "a last resort": eliminating the risk or implementing collective protection takes priority (INRS). Regarding gloves, the institute clarifies that they are "not the most effective solution" (INRS, Hands and Machines).

How to read the standards and pictograms on a glove?

The marking of a glove is read in two stages: the pictogram identifies the risk covered, then the numbers and letters that accompany it indicate the level of performance obtained in the laboratory.
EN ISO 21420:2020: General requirements
EN ISO 21420:2020, which replaces EN 420, sets out common requirements for all protective gloves: material safety, sizing, dexterity, markings, and instructions for use. It does not measure any specific performance: a glove certified solely to this standard does not guarantee protection against cuts, chemicals, or heat.
EN 388: Mechanical risks and cuts
EN 388:2016+A1:2018 evaluates the resistance of a glove to abrasion, cut, tear and puncture, with an additional letter for TDM cut and possibly a P for impact resistance.

The TDM cut test (EN ISO 13997) records the force in newtons required for a blade to cut through the glove material; it complements the blade cut test, which has become unsuitable for very resistant materials. An X indicates that a test was not performed or is not applicable.
Example of reading: 4 3 4 3 CP means abrasion level 4 (8,000 cycles), blade cut level 3 (index 5), tear level 4 (75 N), perforation level 3 (100 N), TDM C cut (10 N) and impact resistance.
For cutting and peeling vegetables in the kitchen, the INRS ED 6216 fact sheet recommends gloves with a cut resistance rating of 4 or 5 and reminds users that these gloves do not protect against knife punctures (INRS ED 6216). Examples of cut-resistant gloves offered by Voussert include: Mapa Krytech 557 and U-Power Tango .

EN ISO 374-1: Protection against chemicals

EN ISO 374-1:2016+A1:2018 classifies chemical gloves into three types, A, B and C, according to the passage time (permeation) measured on a list of 18 test substances.

The markings for types A and B are accompanied by the letters of the substances against which the glove has achieved the required resistance time. Example: a "Type B KPT" glove resists at least 30 minutes against 40% caustic soda (K), 30% hydrogen peroxide (P) and 37% formaldehyde (T), without its protection being demonstrated against other substances.

Three phenomena are distinguished: penetration (passage through material defects, EN 374-2), permeation (molecular diffusion through the material, EN 16523-1), and degradation (alteration of the glove's properties, EN 374-4, without a required performance level). The INRS emphasizes that permeation times are not protection durations and are only used to classify gloves.

EN ISO 374-5: Microorganisms

EN ISO 374-5:2016 certifies protection against bacteria and fungi for gloves that pass the penetration test of EN 374-2. If protection against viruses is claimed, the glove must also pass the ISO 16604 test (bacteriophage Phi-X174), and the marking must include the word VIRUS.

EN 407:2020: Heat and Fire

EN 407:2020 rates the resistance of a glove to heat and fire by six digits, each from 0 to 4, each digit corresponding to a type of exposure.

The contact heat is measured by the threshold time: the level is only reached if the user feels no burns for at least 15 seconds at the indicated temperature. An X indicates that the test was not performed. Example of a heat-resistant cooking glove: Mapa Temp Cook 476 .

EN 511: cold

EN 511 evaluates gloves against convective cold and contact cold, down to -50 °C, with three digits.

For cold storage and cold logistics, an example: Mapa Temp Ice 700 .

Other standards to be aware of

- EN 421:2010: radioactive contamination, without performance level.
- EN ISO 18889: pesticides. Type G1 covers diluted pesticides without mechanical risk, type G2 covers diluted and concentrated pesticides with mechanical risk, type GR covers re-entry tasks.
- EN 16350:2014: Electrostatic properties of gloves, with a vertical resistance of less than 1.0 × 108 ohms; these gloves can be used in areas with an increased risk of explosion, such as a refinery. IEC 61340-5-1:2016 addresses the protection of sensitive electronic components.

Regulation (EC) 1935/2004: Gloves intended for food contact must not pose a health risk, alter the composition of food, or change its organoleptic characteristics, and must bear the glass and fork symbol. See our article on food contact regulations .

Which material should be chosen depending on the chemical being handled?

The right material depends on the chemical family being handled: no glove is resistant to all substances, and each polymer has its strengths and limitations.

Mapa proposes a three-step approach: identify the chemical family of the substance, determine the material that provides the best protection, and then choose the glove according to the desired level of protection. This analysis relies on two indicators: the permeation time, i.e., the time it takes for the substance to pass through the glove, and the degradation index, i.e., the degree of alteration of the glove upon contact with the product (softening, hardening, etc.).

In the table below, + indicates light protection, ++ strong protection, and +++ optimal protection; * indicates Voussert's recommendation. The table is a guide: always check the letters of the EN ISO 374-1 marking and the glove's technical data sheet.

Strengths and limitations of the main materials:

Voussert offers gloves for chemical risks, for example the Mapa Ultranéo 450 polychloroprene glove , as well as household gloves for common cleaning products ( household gloves ).

To classify exposure, the Voussert catalog distinguishes three levels of contact: splashes of diluted or aggressive substances, frequent contact with pure or mixed substances, and prolonged contact (immersion). The longer the contact, the longer the required contact time and the thicker the glove must be.

How to choose your glove: size, finish, wearing time?

The duration of wear influences the choice of interior finish: the Voussert catalog associates short-term wear with a chlorinated finish, intermittent wear with a flocked finish, and continuous wear with a textile-backed finish. Some coatings combine different layers, for example, a smooth nitrile layer for oil resistance and a sanded layer for grip, or nitrile foam for breathability. For the outer layer, check the manufacturer's specifications, such as the absence of DMF (dimethylcellulose) or OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification.
To compare available references, consult our industrial and handling gloves and our Mapa page .

Which gloves are suitable for industry and communities?

Each sector combines a few dominant risks: identifying the corresponding standards makes it possible to build a coherent allocation without oversizing the protection.

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