Chemical Safety

Chemical safety

We offer the necessary testing and expert services to ensure that your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Protective gloves comply with current Regulations.

CE-marking is a mandatory conformity mark for PPE in Europe. It signals that products are safe and compliant with European Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Eurofins Textile Testing Spain, S.L.U. is Notified Body Nº 2865 for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), with a focus on protective clothing, gloves and footwear. The Eurofins laboratory network has come together and combined our comprehensive scope and service offerings towards providing our customers with a competitive one-stop platform for PPE requests, with the ability to locally handle needs from around the globe. Essentially, this means providing both testing and certification services to ensure the compliance of your gloves, among other PPE products, against European regulation EU 2016(425).

Protective gloves are used in many situations to protect human skin during wet work or against mechanical or thermal injury, infections, or chemicals and drugs; ensuring that the correct gloves are used is key.

Inappropriate gloves, as well as hazardous glove ingredients, may cause health risks, skin irritations, eczema, or allergies brought on by skin exposure to paints, varnishes, or other solvents or polymer-based products. Certain glove ingredients are more allergenic, while textile gloves and plastic gloves may contain carcinogens or other substances of concern if they migrate into skin or products such as food.

However, protective gloves can significantly reduce the risk to human health when used appropriately.

PPE glove testing available includes, but is not limited to, the following services:

• Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals
• Penetration testing: water leak and air leak
• Chemical permeation testing
• Chemical degradation
• Protection against viruses and micro-organisms
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Functionality and innocuousness criteria
• Gloves and skin-health

Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals

We offer testing and expert services for compliance with EN 374-1, which sets the requirements for certifying chemical protective gloves. Under EN 374-1, protective gloves are classified as Type A, B or C, depending on their performance level with permeation testing against a list of 18 chemicals, and the regulation requires that chemical protective gloves are tested for their resistance to degradation.

Table: List of test chemicals for disposable gloves

Depending on the number of chemical liquids tested, the classification is as follows:

	Type A: at least level 2 against a minimum of six test chemicals listed in the table
	Type B: at least level 2 against a minimum of three test chemicals listed in the table
	Type C: at least level 1 against a minimum of one test chemical listed in the table

Top ▲

Penetration testing: water leak and air leak

For protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and/or microorganisms (water leak and air leak), we test the product according to EN 374-2.

Top ▲

Chemical permeation testing

A pair of gloves may be free of leaks but still allow substances to permeate. Whilst this is normally restricted to smaller organic molecules, a solvent may act as a carrier for larger molecules by chemical degrading the membrane. Identifying the right gloves for a specific purpose is not always straight forward, nor is the deficiency of gloves always evident.

Permeation testing, carried out using real-use patterns under real-life temperature conditions to identify safe gloves for our clients, has, in many cases, allowed cheaper gloves than those recommended in tables or by consultants (without specific testing).

We offer testing and expert services in accordance with the relevant ASTM and EN standards, including EN 16523-1 (supersedes EN 374-3), ASTM F739 and ISO 6529 to evaluate the permeation of chemicals through PPE gloves.

The Eurofins network of companies has one of the only laboratories in the world that can offer chemical permeation testing of chemicals that are both water insoluble and non-volatile: epoxy resins, polyurethane (isocyanates) and high-boiling mineral oils.

For further information on protective gloves, see section on Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Top ▲

Chemical degradation

Glove mechanical stability may be deteriorated by chemical challenges or hot water and detergent during washing. We offer testing services to evaluate the impact of such exposure on mechanical stability (degradation) in accordance with EN 374-4, ISO 1817 and ASTM D471. Before and after exposure, glove dimensions (length/width, thickness, density), or glove stability under mechanical stress (tensile strength), are all compared.

Top ▲

Protection against viruses and micro-organisms

Protective gloves against viruses and micro-organisms are tested at Eurofins companies according to ISO 16604 Procedure B (optional test) and EN ISO 374-5 respectively.

Top ▲

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

We offer testing for the permeation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) through PPE gloves, such as solvents and water-soluble substances such as acids.

Some very reactive VOC's, such as formaldehyde and non-water-soluble low volatile organic compounds, cannot be easily determined. We have developed adaptations of standard test methods for collecting data for difficult to monitor substances. Examples include:

• Epoxy resins
• Isocyanates
• Amines
• Acrylates
• PAH,PCB
• Pesticides
• Additives in plastic production
• Latex and other polymers
• Cytostatic drugs

For further information on protective gloves, see section on chemical permeation testing.

Top ▲

Functionality and innocuousness criteria

Gloves must be safe and functional according to EN 420.

• If the gloves have seams, they should not reduce the performance of the glove, nor the gloves’ protection;
• pH levels should be between 3.5 and 9.5 (ISO 4045 leather; ISO 3071 textile);
• Chromium (VI) Content should be below detection (< 3 ppm) (EN ISO 17075:2007);
• Natural rubber gloves should be tested for extractable proteins, to mitigate allergic reactions in wearers (EN 455-3);
• If cleaning instructions are provided, the level of performance of the product must be proven until at least the maximum number of washes claimed in the product’s artwork.

Eurofins companies can help with selecting the right gloves for each particular, through existing knowledge and testing. We provide high expertise on different fields, making the Eurofins network of laboratories a unique place for designing and performing glove testing tailored to many specific needs. To find out how we can help you ensure your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and gloves are suitable and compliant, contact your local Eurofins laboratory.

Top ▲

Gloves and skin-health

A glove itself may constitute a hazard. If allergens are released from the glove material, they will be transferred to the body, causing an allergic reaction. For example: Residual sensitising proteins originating from natural latex milk can act as an allergen in latex surgical or household gloves; Chromium VI compounds left over from the tanning process in leather gloves can cause an adverse reaction.

Eurofins companies offers allergen testing services for gloves including, but not limited to:

• EN 455-3; analysis of gloves for sensitising proteins
• EN 420, ISO 17075; analyses gloves for chromium VI
• Testing for potential allergens such as N-nitrosamines, azo dyes, aromatic amines, PCP

Medical / Surgical gloves

Gloves which are non-sterile Medical Devices fall under Class I. Disposable medical gloves used to prevent the spread of infection or illness must observe the following standards, according to Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC:

• EN 455-1 - Medical gloves for single use. Requirements and testing for freedom from holes
• EN 455-2 - Medical gloves for single use. Requirements and testing for physical properties
• EN 455-3 - Medical gloves for single use. Requirements and testing for biological evaluation
• Residual powder
• Extractable protein (if natural rubber or latex glove)
• Bacterial endotoxins (if sterile glove)
• EN 455-4 - Medical gloves for single use. Requirements and testing for shelf life determination.

We provide high expertise on different fields, making the Eurofins network of laboratories a unique place for designing and performing glove testing tailored to many specific needs.

Top ▲