EN 388
THIS STANDARD APPLIES TO ALL KINDS OF
PROTECTIVE
GLOVES IN RESPECT OF PHYSICAL AND
MECHANICAL
AGGRESSIONS CAUSED BY ABRASION,
BLADE CUT, PUNCTURE AND TEARING.
A revised version of the EN 388 standard
was released in November 2016 and is
referred to as EN 388:2016.
What’s the difference??
EN 388:2003
Every glove tested under EN 388:2003 achieved a performance
rating expressed by a pictogram, followed by four numbers
representing performance against each specific hazard. The higher
the numerical rating (0-4 for abrasion, tear and puncture / 0-5 for
Blade cuts), the higher the protection offered.
VS
EN 388:2016
THE NEW STANDARD
A number of changes are effective under the new EN 388
standard. The most significant change has been to the cut
resistance testing.
Designed to keep pace with the development of cut resistant
fibres, the new standard is designed to address flaws in the
cut test
methodology applied as part of EN 388:2003. This enables
safety managers to better match the protection required
against the hazards encountered by the workforce.
In instances where the blade in the coup test experiences
blunting, an additional test is carried out - EN ISO 13997.
In addition, new testing protocols covering abrasion and
impact resistance have been created. All such changes are
explained in more detail within this document.
The changes to the standard affect new products being
certified.
Distributors had until 21st April 2023 to sell through any
stocks of product certified to the EN 388:2003 standard.
CUT RESISTANCE
Although EN 388:2003 results were seen as a satisfactory
indicator for gloves with lower cut resistance, a number of
flaws were identified for those with higher cut resistance
(cut levels 4-5).
The liners used with the latter that are blended with glass-
fibre can blunt the microscopic edge of the blade used in
the Coup Test, whilst steel-based engineered yarns can
stop the testing machine due to metal-to-metal contact
without necessarily cutting through the material. As a
result, potentially large performance variances and
inconsistent cut indices exist. The 2003 version of the
standard used the Coup Test method only to indicate cut
resistance performance.
In the 2016 version, the Coup Test is still used but if the
blade become dull (by a factor of 3 or above after the
second reference fabric cut) the EN ISO 13977 cut resistance
method then becomes the reference test method for the
assessment of the protection against cut risks. In this
instance, an ‘X’ may be displayed in the place of a Coup
Test result as the second digit under the EN 388 pictogram.
EN ISO 13977 cut resistance performance levels (measured in Newtons (N)) will be indicated by a six-letter classification system.
This will see the additional straight blade performance
level result added as a 5th digit under the EN 388
pictogram.
The Coup Test method has also been revised which
sees the number of test cycles limited to 60
(whether the blade has cut through the fabric or not)
to prohibit endless testing.
ABRASION RESISTANCE
The type of abrasive paper used in the test has been changed.
DUE TO THE CHANGE, SOME ABRASION SCORES MAY
CHANGE WHEN TESTED TO THE NEW STANDARD.
To measure the abrasion resistance of a glove, the glove material is fitted to a Martindale abrasion machine and the rubbing head moves over the test material in an elliptical motion over a table covered with 180 grit abrasive material. The EN 388:2003 version specified a 100 grit material.
The number of cycles required to make a hole in the test material relate to the 1-4 levels of abrasion performance.
IMPACT RESISTANCE
A new addition within the EN 388:2016 standard is an optional test to measure the impact protection of a glove that claims to have impact resistant properties.
This test is carried out in accordance with EN 13594:2015 6.9 Protective Gloves for Motorcycle Riders.
The area/material of impact protection is tested by being secured to a domed anvil and impacted with a 2.5kg flat face striker and energy of 5J. Gloves must meet the requirement of level 1 of EN 13594:2015 - the
mean transmitted force shall be ≤7.0kN with no single results greater
than ≤9.0kN.
IF THE GLOVE MEETS THIS
REQUIREMENT,A ‘P’ IS ADDED AS
THE LAST DIGIT TO THE EN 388:2016
GLOVE MARKING.
MARKINGS
The pictogram will not change, however, when
a glove has been tested to the EN 388:2016
standard, you can understand the new
markings as below:
NOTE:
If tests are not performed or are not applicable, ‘X’ will be placed instead of a number/letter.
0 may be shown if level 1 is not achieved.