Glove Tester: Key Standards EN 388 & EN 407
Glove Tester: Key Standards EN 388 & EN 407
Glove testing is the core way to verify the safety performance of protective gloves, ensuring they can effectively protect hands from mechanical damage, high temperature, flame and molten metal hazards in industrial, construction, welding, manufacturing and daily scenarios.
Whether you need to confirm whether work gloves can resist sharp cutting, rough surface wear, or whether high-temperature gloves can block contact heat and flame spread, standardized glove testing is essential. It provides objective, repeatable performance data, allowing manufacturers, buyers and end users to clearly understand the protection level of gloves, so as to make safe and reliable selection decisions.
In the test, the glove sample is fixed on the special glove testing machine, and the performance is evaluated under the specified pressure, speed and test environment according to the standard procedure. The final performance level and test data are called the glove protection rating, which is the key basis for global PPE procurement and certification.
Is it Essential to do Standardized Testing for Gloves?
Standardized testing means that the same sample can get consistent and comparable results in different laboratories around the world, eliminating the errors caused by different equipment, methods and human factors.
For protective gloves, the European Union has formulated two core international general standards: EN 388 (mechanical risk protection) and EN 407 (thermal risk protection), which are the necessary pass for gloves to enter the European and global markets, and also the authoritative basis for CE certification.
EN 388 focuses on the mechanical resistance of gloves, including abrasion, cutting, tearing and puncture; EN 407 focuses on thermal protection, including flame resistance, contact heat, convection heat, radiant heat and molten metal splash protection. The two standards complement each other, covering the vast majority of hand protection scenarios, and the test results are recognized worldwide, which is convenient for trade circulation and safety supervision.
Standardized testing helps manufacturers produce products that meet the fixed protection level, and helps buyers purchase gloves with clear performance indicators, truly eliminating guesswork and providing authentic and credible safety data.
EN 388: Protective Gloves Against Mechanical Risks
Overview
EN 388 is the European standard for protective gloves against mechanical risks, the latest version is EN 388:2016+A1:2018, applicable to all gloves that need to resist abrasion, cutting, tearing, puncture and impact damage, such as labor protection gloves, cut-resistant gloves, anti-puncture gloves, etc.
This standard is applicable to woven, coated, knitted and composite material gloves, and is the most widely used mechanical protection assessment standard in the global PPE field. The test results are expressed in the form of 4-digit code + letter mark, representing the performance level of abrasion resistance, cut resistance, tear resistance and puncture resistance in turn.
EN 388 Test Method
The EN 388 test is completed on a special mechanical Glove Testing Machine, and the sample is fixed according to the standard size, and the following four core items are tested in turn:
1. Abrasion Resistance
The sample is rubbed with standard sandpaper under a specified pressure, and the number of cycles required for grinding damage is recorded. The level is 1–4, the higher the level, the stronger the wear resistance.
2. Cut Resistance (Coup Test)
Use a standard rotating circular blade to cut the sample at a fixed speed and pressure, and record the number of cycles required to cut through. The level is 0–5, and the high-performance material is supplemented with A–F level evaluation.
3. Tear Resistance
Test the force required to tear the pre-cut sample, expressed in Newtons (N), level 1–4, the higher the level, the better the tear resistance.
4. Puncture Resistance
Use a standard puncture needle to pierce the sample, test the maximum force required, level 1–4, the higher the level, the stronger the anti-puncture ability.
EN 407: Protective Gloves Against Thermal Risks (Heat and/or Fire)
Testing Principle
EN 407 is the European standard for protective gloves against thermal risks, the latest version is EN 407:2020, applicable to gloves that protect against flame, contact heat, convection heat, radiant heat, small or large amounts of molten metal splash, excluding special fire-fighting and welding gloves with independent standards.
The core of EN 407 is to evaluate the heat insulation and flame retardant performance of gloves, and the test results are expressed in 6 performance levels (a–f), each level is 0–4, the higher the level, the stronger the thermal protection ability.
EN 407 Test Items
EN 407 includes 6 key test items, all completed on the professional thermal glove tester:
1. Limited Flame Spread
The sample is exposed to standard flame for 15 seconds, test the after-flame time and after-glow time, level 1–4, level 4 means the best flame retardant performance.
2. Contact Heat Resistance
Test the time required for the internal temperature of the glove to rise by 10°C under contact with 100–500°C heat source, level 1–4, level 4 can resist 500°C contact heat.
3. Convective Heat Resistance
Test the protection time against flame and hot air flow, record the time required for the temperature to rise by 24°C, level 1–4.
4. Radiant Heat Resistance
Test the heat insulation ability under strong radiant heat, evaluate the heat transfer time, level 1–4.
5. Resistance to Small Splashes of Molten Metal
Drop molten metal droplets of specified quality onto the sample, observe whether it is ignited or the back temperature rises sharply, level 0–4.
6. Resistance to Large Quantities of Molten Metal
Aimed at high-risk scenarios such as heavy casting, test the protection ability against a large number of molten metal splashes, level 0–4.
Interpreting Results
The EN 407 result is a 6-character code (a b c d e f), corresponding to the above 6 items in turn, level 4 is the highest protection. For example, a code of 3 4 3 2 4 3 means:
Flame spread: level 3
Contact heat: level 4 (up to 500°C)
Convective heat: level 3
Radiant heat: level 2
Small molten metal splash: level 4
Large molten metal splash: level 3
If the glove claims thermal performance level 3 or above, it must pass the limited flame spread test at least level 3, otherwise the rating is invalid.
Gloves that meet EN 407 can effectively avoid burns, scalds and ignition risks in high-temperature environments, and are essential PPE for thermal hazard operations.
Comparison Between EN 388 and EN 407
Similarities
Both are EU PPE mandatory standards, globally recognized, and the basis for CE certification
Both use multi-level rating system, the higher the level, the stronger the protection
Both require professional testing equipment, fixed test environment and standardized operation
Both are applicable to various material gloves, providing unified evaluation indicators for manufacturers and buyers
Major Differences
| Item | EN 388 | EN 407 |
| Protection Direction | Mechanical risks (abrasion, cutting, tearing, puncture) | Thermal risks (flame, high temperature, molten metal) |
| Test Core | Mechanical strength and durability | Heat insulation and flame retardant |
| Result Form | 4-digit + letter code | 6-level letter code (a–f) |
| Pressure Range | High mechanical load | Low pressure, focus on temperature control |
| Application Focus | Mechanical processing, construction, handling | Welding, casting, high temperature, baking |
| Evaluation Focus | Whether the material is damaged | Temperature rise time and flame spread |
Conclusion
Glove testing is the core guarantee of hand safety protection, and EN 388 and EN 407 are the two most important standards in the field of protective gloves.
EN 388 focuses on mechanical protection, covering abrasion, cutting, tearing and puncture, suitable for almost all conventional labor protection scenarios.
EN 407 focuses on thermal protection, covering flame, high temperature and molten metal, suitable for high-temperature and fire hazard scenarios.
The two standards complement each other, providing a complete, authoritative and unified evaluation system for global protective gloves. The professional multi-functional Safety Glove Testing Equipment can complete the two standard tests at the same time, ensuring the accuracy, consistency and credibility of the results, helping manufacturers produce qualified products, helping buyers purchase safe gloves, and ultimately protecting the hand safety of operators in all scenarios.
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