Certification and Registration
EN 407:2020 Introduction to the Testing of Protective Gloves Against Thermal Hazards
Category:
Protective Gloves
EN 407 Standard Description
EN 407:2020 Protective Gloves and Other Hand Protective Equipment Against Thermal Risks (Heat and/or Fire)
EN 407 specifies requirements for protective gloves and other hand protective equipment designed to protect against thermal hazards (heat and/or fire).
In high-temperature and high-heat working environments, wearing suitable heat-resistant gloves is essential to provide thermal insulation and adequate protection, helping prevent burns, scalds, and more serious injuries.
Heat and flame hazards in the workplace may appear simple but are actually diverse. Therefore, EN 407 includes six different glove tests, each with performance levels ranging from 1 to 4. Although test methods and performance requirements vary depending on the application, one principle remains clear: under EN 407:2020, a higher rating indicates better protective performance.
EN 407 Introduction to Testing Methods
1. EN 407:2020 Clause 4.5.2 Limited Flame Spread
The limited flame spread test evaluates the protection provided by gloves when exposed to an open flame. Gloves do not need to be inherently flame-resistant but must be capable of self-extinguishing and burning slowly enough for the wearer to identify the hazard and safely remove the gloves.
The glove specimen is positioned vertically above the test burner, with the flame applied to the tip of the middle finger. During testing, afterflame time and afterglow time are measured. The standard does not allow melting on the inner surface, complete perforation of the specimen, or separation at seams.
For high-performance gloves (Level 3 or Level 4), all external materials except those in the finger area shall also be tested.
|
Performance level |
Residual burn time ( seconds ) |
Afterglow time ( seconds ) |
|
level 1 |
≤15 seconds |
No requirements |
|
level 2 |
≤10 seconds |
≤120 seconds |
|
level 3 |
≤3 seconds |
≤25 seconds |
|
level 4 |
≤2 seconds |
≤5 seconds |
2. EN 407:2020 Clause 4.5.3 Contact Heat Resistance
The glove material is exposed to temperatures ranging from 100°C to 500°C. The time required for the temperature of the inner glove material to increase by 10°C from the initial temperature (approximately 25°C) is measured. A minimum threshold time of 15 seconds is required for acceptance.
For example, to achieve Level 2, the inner glove material must withstand contact with a temperature above 250°C for at least 15 seconds.
This test evaluates the glove’s protective performance against direct contact with hot objects. The outer material may be damaged during testing, but the inner layer shall not show melting or perforation.
|
Performance level |
Contact temperature |
Threshold time |
|
level 1 |
100 °C |
≥ 15s |
|
level 2 |
250 °C |
≥ 15s |
|
level 3 |
350 °C |
≥ 15s |
|
level 4 |
500 °C |
≥ 15s |
3. EN 407:2020 Clause 4.5.4 Convective Heat Resistance
Convective heat transfer occurs when heat moves from a heat source to another location through the movement of fluids such as air or water.During this test, the glove specimen is exposed to a heat source while maintaining a fixed distance from the flame. The temperature increase inside the glove is measured to determine the time required for the inner temperature to rise by
|
Performance level |
Heat Transfer Index HTI(s) |
|
level 1 |
≥4s |
|
level 2 |
≥7s |
|
level 3 |
≥10s |
|
level 4 |
≥18s |
4. EN 407:2020 Clause 4.5.5 Radiant Heat Resistance
Radiant heat is invisible but can be extremely intense. This test evaluates whether the back of the glove can withstand radiant heat exposure from various heat sources.
The glove specimen is exposed to a radiant heat source. Similar to the convective heat resistance test, the temperature increase inside the glove is measured to determine the time required for the internal temperature to rise by 24°C.
|
Performance level |
Heat transfer time |
|
level 1 |
≥7s |
|
level 2 |
≥20s |
|
level 3 |
≥50s |
|
level 4 |
≥95s |
5. EN 407:2020 Clause 4.5.6 Resistance to Small Splashes of Molten Metal
This test evaluates hand protection when handling small amounts of molten metal, such as during welding operations.In a controlled environment, two palm specimens and two back-of-hand specimens are exposed to molten metal droplets. The test evaluates the temperature increase between the inside of the glove and the skin.A total number of molten metal droplets required to increase the temperature by 40°C is recorded. If the cuff is made from the same material as the palm, or different materials are used on the back of the hand, these areas shall also be tested.
|
Performance level |
0.5 The number of droplets in the liquid |
|
level 1 |
≥10 |
|
level 2 |
≥15 |
|
level 3 |
≥25 |
|
level 4 |
≥35 |
6. EN 407:2020 Clause 4.5.7 Resistance to Large Splashes of Molten Metal
A PVC aluminum foil simulated skin is attached to the inner surface of the glove material. Molten metal is then poured onto the glove surface, and the amount of molten metal required to damage the simulated skin is measured.Folds in the material or seams on the outer surface may act as collection points for molten metal. Therefore, glove designs shall prevent molten metal from accumulating. If any part of the glove material ignites during testing, the glove fails to meet the requirements of this standard.
|
Performance level |
Molten metal weight |
|
level 1 |
30g |
|
level 2 |
60g |
|
level 3 |
120g |
|
level 4 |
200g |
EN 407:2020 Pictographic Symbol
Depending on whether the gloves are flame-resistant or non-flame-resistant, two clearly distinguishable pictograms are used.The symbol on the left indicates that the product has not been tested for flame resistance, while the symbol on the right indicates that the product has passed the flame resistance test. These two symbols cannot be used simultaneously.
The numbers shown next to or below the pictogram indicate the glove’s performance level for each test specified in the standard. A higher number represents a higher protection level. X indicates that no protection level has been declared.
SATISFY provides EN 407 one-stop testing services, including preliminary assessment, preparation and submission of relevant documents, complete test management, report interpretation, data analysis, and corrective action recommendations.
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