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EN 12477 standard

Like many other professions, welding work presents a certain number of risks and it is essential to protect your hand because it is the first exposed to danger. Welding gloves must have the property of resistance to abrasion, to protect the hands from heat, burns, electric shocks. The worker is subjected to this dangerous pressure both in the workshops and on the construction sites due to the parts under tension. The EN 12477 standard lays down the requirements and applicable test methods for a welder's glove.

The protections expected of the welding glove

Among the risks of welding, we must mention the electrical risks. The danger comes from bare live parts such as electrodes, parts to be welded, various cables, etc. There are above all the cutaneous consequences, starting with burns due to splashes of molten metal, hot surfaces, sparks and even flames. Without protection, the hands can receive projected particles which penetrate the skin.

A welder's glove is expected to first offer protection against mechanical aggression. It protects the worker against the cutting action of the sheets he is assembling or repairing. It must also be a protection against heat as well as electrical conduction. The welding glove must provide both thermal insulation and mechanical resistance. The strong point is to combine the performance of the protection and the optimal comfort so that the welder can have a high productivity.

Welding gloves protect the hands and wrists against contact heat, convective heat but also against small splashes of molten metal and time-limited exposure to a flame.

The EN 12477 standard, type a and type b

The welding-gloves validated by EN 12477 must be designed so that they protect the hands, wrists and forearms. Made of leather, they have a lined interior. They must also be provided with anti-heat fleece and a cuff.

Welding gloves are classified into two types:

  • Type A: refers to gloves with higher protection against heat but less flexibility and dexterity.
  • Type B: concerns gloves with less effective protection against heat but greater flexibility and dexterity.

The certification of the EN 12477 standard is only acquired if the work glove is certified EN 420, EN 388 for mechanical resistance and EN 407 for heat and fire resistance. This standard is required because the welder's glove belongs to category 3 which concerns protection against major, fatal and disabling risks. However, this standard does not apply to protective gloves for special welding processes.