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What the Documents Actually Cover.
A marking is a claim about one specific glove, tested to one specific standard. This page explains what each document proves, and what it leaves you to check.
For buyers who have to defend a glove choice to a safety manager, an auditor or a customer.
Standards covered
Reference
Mechanical
EN 388:2016+A1:2018
Abrasion, cut, tear, puncture, impact
Cut method
ISO 13997 (TDM)
Reported as letters A–F
North America
ANSI/ISEA 105
Cut levels A1–A9, gram force
Chemicals
EN ISO 374-1
Only where the glove is tested and marked
Four documents behind a quotation
Ask for all four. Any one of them alone leaves a gap a buyer has to carry.
01
Test report
Performance results for one model, against one standard, from a named laboratory. It is the only document that describes the glove you are buying.
02
Declaration of Conformity
The manufacturer’s statement that the model meets the PPE Regulation it is sold under, with the standard, the category and the notified body where one applies.
03
Substance declaration
REACH SVHC statement at Article 33 threshold, plus any customer-specific restricted-substance list the buyer works to.
04
Packing specification
Pairs per polybag, carton quantity, dimensions and gross weight, marks and barcodes — the document a forwarder and a warehouse both need.
EN 388, row by row
Five properties, two cut methods. The marking is a compact claim about all of them.
| Property | Scale | What it measures | Where it decides a purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abrasion | 0–4 | Cycles to wear through the coating under abrasive paper | Carton, brick, timber and repeated handling |
| Cut, coupe | 0–5 | Cycles to cut through under a circular blade at fixed load | Light handling; unreliable on hard or abrasive material |
| Tear | 0–4 | Force needed to propagate a tear | Snagging on nails, wire, tooling and cage corners |
| Puncture | 0–4 | Force needed to pierce with a blunt point | Splinters, wire ends, swarf |
| Cut, ISO 13997 | A–F | Force needed to cut through with a straight blade (TDM) | Glass, sheet metal, rebar and any hard edge |
| Impact | P | Peak force transmitted through the knuckle | Struck-by hazards in assembly and handling |
ANSI/ISEA 105 cut levels
North American markings use gram force rather than cycles. The two scales are not interchangeable, so match the one your customer specifies.
| Level | Threshold | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 200 gf | Light handling, dry goods |
| A2 | 500 gf | Assembly, cartons, general handling |
| A3 | 1,000 gf | Mixed loads, banding, light sheet |
| A4 | 1,500 gf | Sheet metal, glass handling |
| A5 | 2,200 gf | Cut panes, stamped parts |
| A6 | 3,000 gf | Edge work, heavy burr |
| A7 | 4,000 gf | Repeated contact with cut edges |
A glove marked A4 in one standard is not automatically 4X43 in the other. Quote the standard and the revision in the brief, and the report will match it.
Reading the limits
What a test report does not tell you.
A report describes a new glove, tested on a laboratory blade. Four things sit between that report and the glove on a hand at hour seven of a shift.
01
The model, not the range
A report covers the glove that was submitted. If the liner, gauge or coating weight changes, the report no longer describes what you are buying.
02
The liner carries the cut rating
A cut claim belongs to the liner. The coating decides grip, abrasion and how long the glove stays usable — and contributes nothing to cut.
03
Washing and loading
Cut and abrasion performance drop as the liner loads with dust and is laundered. A certificate describes a new glove.
04
Laboratory spread
Two laboratories can return different results on the same model, especially on cut. Ask which laboratory and which standard revision.
How the evidence travels with the order
The sequence that keeps a claim attached to the right model.
01
Brief
Task, cut level, fluid exposure and destination market. One page is enough.
02
Model
A specific construction is proposed and sampled, with the liner and coating fixed in writing.
03
Evidence
Test report and declaration for that model, checked against the markings on the sample.
04
Order
Artwork, packing and inspection criteria agreed before production, not after.
Questions buyers ask
The four questions that come up most often in an audit or a tender review.
Does a CE mark mean the glove is certified?
No. CE marking is the manufacturer’s declaration that the model meets the applicable regulation, supported by a test report and, for Category II and III, an EU type-examination by a notified body where required. It is a self-declaration backed by evidence, not a certificate issued per shipment.
What is the difference between EN 388 four digits and the letter?
The four digits come from the coupe test and describe abrasion, cut, tear and puncture. The letter (A–F) comes from ISO 13997 and describes cut resistance measured with a straight blade. On hard or abrasive materials the coupe blade blunts and the digits understate the risk, which is why the letter matters for glass, sheet metal and rebar.
Which category do work gloves fall under?
Mechanical risk gloves are usually Category II under Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Gloves claiming chemical protection are Category III, which adds ongoing product checks rather than a one-off type examination.
Can you send certificates before we order?
Yes, for the model being quoted. Certificate scope and validity are confirmed with the factory before they are sent, because a certificate that does not cover the quoted model is worse than none. We will not quote a certificate we cannot produce.
Ask for the documents before the price.
Send the model and the standard you are being asked to meet. We will come back with the report, the declaration and the packing specification that match it.
We reply within one working day. Sample requests are quoted with the courier cost shown separately.