Chemical protection gloves

To work safely in a hazardous environment, it is necessary to take the necessary precautions. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential, knowing that the essential accessories vary according to the specifics of the work. Besides the overall, the shoes and goggles, the choice of gloves is also not to be taken to lightness, the use of hands being inherent in all work. How to choose the right chemical protection gloves? Discover the answers in this article.

Use of chemical protective gloves

In order to protect physical health, it is important to choose the right material. Wearing chemical protective gloves is essential for working safely in an acid or chemical risk environment. In fact, in this specific area, around a third of work accidents concern the hands according to the latest statistics. Hazardous and/or chemical products are handled all day long in various sectors such as laboratory work or the pharmaceutical, food or automotive industries.

Therefore, nothing should be left to chance. Security measures must be put in place. For this, a good methodology is required to start, while learning and applying the technical gestures to adopt. By respecting these safety measures and wearing PPE suitable for the chemical risk environment, the risk of accidents is considerably reduced. Chemical protective gloves are ideal for preventing hand contact with hazardous chemicals. Simple contact with the skin could cause irritation, dermatoses as well as burns, not to mention the risk of intoxication /strong>.

Which type of gloves for chemical products to choose and which materials?

Chemical protective gloves: the standards you need to know - EN 374

To measure the level of safety displayed by personal protective equipment, it suffices to base oneself on the standards in force. For chemical protection gloves, a distinction is made between the norm EN 374 which determines the resistance to penetration, permeation and degradation. Composed of several parts, the latter was modified at the end of 2016 to implement more precise test methods.

The EN - 374-1: 2003 standard becomes EN ISO 374-1: 2016, with:

• Tests for resistance against the penetration of hazardous chemicals and micro-organisms
• Resistance tests against 18 chemicals (the old version had only 12, with codes ranging from A to L)

Chemical protective gloves are classified into three categories:

• Type A for equipment with optimum resistance to penetration by at least 6 chemical substances, with a permeation time of more than 30 minutes
• Type B for protective gloves providing resistance to penetration by at least 3 chemical substances, with a permeation time greater than 30 minutes
• Type C for accessories guaranteeing a permeation time of more than 10 minutes for at least one chemical substance

Generally, type B and C gloves are only for disposable versions.

The most used materials

The preferred materials include:

• Nitrile, appreciated for its increased level of resistance, especially against hydrocarbons
• Latex, renowned for the optimal level of resistance it displays against chemicals, tearing and wear (to be avoided in the presence of greasy or oily products)
• Butyl, known to resist perfectly against particularly toxic and aggressive chemical products
• Vinyl (or PVC), which resists acids, alcohols and bases
• Neoprene, with a high level of resistance against acids and bases

Precautions against chemicals

Before each use, it is important to always carefully check the condition of the chemical protective gloves. A perforation, even minimal, could have serious consequences on the health of the worker.

Because an accident can always happen, it is better to have a first aid kit at hand, specially designed for the chemical industry.