What Are The Safety Standards For Thermal Safety Gloves?

Limited flame spread test (Test method EN ISO 15025:2016 Method A)

The limited flame spread test is used to assess the ability to protect the wearer’s hand if it comes into close proximity with a naked flame. To give good results in this test, the gloves do not need to be inflammable but they must inhibit combustion and burn slowly enough for the wearer to recognise this and safely remove the gloves.

Contact Heat (Test Method EN ISO 12127-1:2015)

Through conduction, heat is transferred within and through physical bodies. During use, the wearer of the gloves will intend to hold a hot item and the heat may transfer through the gloves and into the wearer’s hand. Gloves with this type of contact heat protection would also be able to protect from any accidental contact, such as the back of the hand touching the internal sides of an oven.

Convective Heat (Test Method EN ISO 9151:2016)

‘Convection’ is the mechanism of transfer of heat from the source to another place by the movement of fluids such as water or air. Heat transmission through gloves is largely determined by its thickness, including any air gaps trapped between the adjacent layers.

Radiant Heat (Test Method EN ISO 6942:2002)

Heat will transfer between physical bodies which may be separated spatially through thermal radiation in the form of electromagnetic waves in the infrared spectrum in all directions from the hot body. The intensity of the radiation (characterised by the ‘heat flux density’ – the flow of energy per unit area per unit of time, expressed in the SI system as W/m²) will influence the degree of transfer that occurs. It also depends on the distance from the object according to an inverse square law. Radiant heat from hot bodies can be very intense and is invisible. It can result in injury or even spontaneous ignition long before any conductive contact is made with the source. A dramatic example is how the Sun’s rays can be concentrated through a magnifying glass to ignite paper. The results are shown in the table below on a scale of 1 to 4; 1 being the lowest, 4 the highest.

Large Quantities Of Molten Metal (Test Method EN ISO 9185:2007)

If testing to this clause, the use of molten iron is mandatory. However, other optional molten materials (such as aluminium or molten glass) may be tested as required and the corresponding test results must be given on the information supplied by the manufacturer.