Protective glove certification
A glove protecting against mechanical, thermal, cold or chemical risks is Category II or III PPE — placing it on the market requires EU type-examination by a notified body.
Which products?
- gloves against mechanical risks (EN 388);
- gloves against thermal risks (EN 407) and against cold (EN 511);
- gloves against chemicals and micro-organisms (EN ISO 374-1, 374-5);
- welder's gloves (EN 12477), firefighter's gloves (EN 659);
- anti-vibration (EN ISO 10819) and electrostatic-dissipative (EN 16350) gloves;
- general requirements behind every glove: EN 420 / EN ISO 21420.
The procedure
- Enquiry: identifying the product, the protection levels to be declared and the applicable standards.
- Technical documentation: submission per Regulation (EU) 2016/425.
- EU type-examination (Module B): examination of the type sample; Category III adds Module C2/D surveillance.
- Certificate: on a conforming result, the EU type-examination certificate.
Worth knowing
The performance levels on the marking (e.g. the EN 388 digit string) come from test results, not declarations. In the development phase, performance can be checked in advance by independent laboratory measurement — a separate service, not part of the certification procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Can a glove manufacturer outside the EU certify with you?
Yes. The procedure runs remotely with English documentation and courier samples — our manufacturers include plants in India, Pakistan and Turkey. Our page for non-EU manufacturers covers the details.
Our glove is Category III — what changes in the procedure?
Alongside the EU type-examination certificate, ongoing conformity assessment is required: Module C2 (supervised product checks) or Module D (quality-system surveillance), with notified-body involvement, annually.
Does the coupe or the TDM result decide the cut marking?
On blade-blunting materials (HPPE, glass and steel fibre), EN 388 makes the ISO 13997 TDM result governing — it yields the A–F letter, and the coupe position often shows X. On traditional materials the coupe number is sufficient. We run the TDM test in-house.
Related standards
- EN 420, EN ISO 21420 · Protective gloves — general requirements
- EN 388 · Gloves against mechanical risks
- EN ISO 13997 · Resistance to cutting by sharp objects (TDM method)
- EN 407 · Gloves against thermal risks
- EN 511 · Gloves against cold
- EN 12477 · Welder’s gloves
- EN ISO 374-1 · Gloves against dangerous chemicals
- EN ISO 374-5 · Gloves against micro-organisms
- EN 659 · Firefighter’s gloves
- EN ISO 10819 · Anti-vibration gloves
- EN 16350 · Gloves with electrostatic properties
Start a certification enquiry
Tell us which product needs EU type-examination and against which standard — we will explain the procedure steps and the documentation required.
Start an enquiry