Your hands are crucial to just about any task throughout a day that you can think of.  That’s why protecting them whilst at work is so important, both to the employee and employer. 

There are many risks in the workplace that your hands require protection from: chemicals, heat, cold and prolonged contact with water. 

However, the most common by far is one called mechanical risks.  This covers any risk that could cause injury from a mechanical action.  These risks are generally categorised into 5 main areas: abrasion, cut, tear, puncture and impact. 

When looking at ensuring any item you’re using in the workplace is going to give the relevant protection the best reference point is the safety standard under which the item is certified. 

For mechanical risks you need to use the BSI EN388:2016+A1:2018 - Protective gloves against mechanical risks standard. 

Bit of a mouthful, isn’t it?? 

The best way to check a gloves suitability using this standard is to use the rating each glove is given when certified. 

The rating a glove is given is generated from its performance under 6 different tests.  These are:  

1. Martindale Abrasion Test – This looks at the glove's protective properties for abrasion risks.  A rating between “1” and “4” is provided with a rating of “4” giving the most protection. 

1. Coupe Cut Test - This tests the protection provided for cut risks.  A rating between “1” and “5” is provided with “5” being the highest rating.  However, if the blade used blunts during the test, then it is stopped and automatically awarded an “X” rating (or a failure).  This generally happens after the stage where a “3” rating is awarded but before a “4” rating; this means that practically the highest a glove can get under this test is a “3”. 

1. Tensile Test - This calculates a rating for protection from tear risks. A rating between “1” and “4” is provided with a rating of “4” being the highest. 

1. Compression Test – Protection from puncture risks is certified using this test.  This provides the gloves with a rating of between “1” and “4”, again “4” is the most protection. 

1. ISO Cut Test - This also looks at cut risks.  A rating between “A” and “F” is given based on the amount of force is needed to cut through the glove. 

1. Domed Anvil Impact Test – This is an optional test that looks at protection from impact risks.  It is a pass/fail test with a pass being noted by a “P” at the end of rating 

A typical rating looks like this:  

4X42E 

Each separate rating is listed in the order we have explained each test above.  The above rating does not have a sixth rating as it was not tested for impact protection.  This rating was provided for the Supercut 5 glove from the COFRA range (a high-quality Italian brand that PK Safety are stockists of). 

We get 2 common questions about these ratings: 

• What rating do I need my gloves to be? 
• Which cut test should I look at? 

We’ll be looking at these questions in new blogs (yet to be released...exciting!!) 

Download our visual guide EN388 Explanation.pdf (451.02 kb)

If you can’t wait that long, then get in touch!! We’re real humans and we love to speak to people.   

You can call us on 01443 741999 or email us at info@pksafetyuk.com.