Answer

The new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations applicable to gloves took effect in April 2018, though products covered by the previous regulations may still be sold for a further 12 months. EN 374-1: 2003 has now been replaced by EN ISO 374-1:2016.

 This covers the requirement for gloves offering chemical protection and is indicated on packaging and product leaflets/datasheets by a ‘fuming conical flask’ accompanied by ‘Type A’ ‘Type B’ or ‘Type C’ and between 1 and 6 letters, representing the chemicals tested for resistance against (see list).

 Our Nitrile gloves are the only type which have been tested for chemical resistance. However, this does not mean that Latex and Vinyl gloves are not resistant to chemicals, just that they have not been tested accordingly (many of these gloves are aimed at the food and hygiene industries so do not need testing for chemical resistance). Most disposable gloves are resistant at least to chemical splashes. If unsure about the chemical resistance, simply remove and replace the gloves if splashed with corrosive or aggressive chemicals.

 Our disposable nitrile gloves will soon conform to EN ISO 374-1: 2016/Type C (K, T), as well as EN ISO 374-5:2016 (micro-organisms (bacteria & fungi) and virus)