Overview
EN ISO 374-4:2019 - Protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and micro-organisms - Part 4: Determination of resistance to degradation by chemicals (ISO 374-4:2019) specifies a laboratory test method to determine how glove materials degrade after continuous contact with liquid chemicals. The method quantifies changes in the glove material’s puncture resistance after exposure and is intended for natural and synthetic polymer gloves. Annex A provides interlaboratory information and Annex B gives an informative weight-change test example.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Purpose: Measure resistance to chemical-induced degradation by comparing puncture resistance before and after exposure to a challenge chemical.
- Test principle: Continuous contact of the glove’s outer surface with the chemical in a sealed vial; change in puncture force is the metric of degradation.
- Sampling and specimens: Three gloves selected and conditioned (23 ± 2 °C, 50 ± 5 % RH), cut into 20 mm circular specimens (18 specimens total: 9 exposed, 9 unexposed).
- Apparatus and components: 20 ml crimp-top vials, 20 mm septa and crimp seals, punched sample holder, dynamometer with puncture stylus per ISO 23388:2018, transfer pipette, and vial support.
- Test conditions: Tests performed at (23 ± 2) °C; exposure typically about 1 hour (±5 min) with ~2 ml challenge chemical per vial; puncture testing at 100 mm/min carriage speed.
- Limitations: Lined gloves can produce unusable results if liners interfere with sealing or measurement; for multi-layer or irregular constructions, representative areas must be chosen.
- Complementary testing: The standard notes that chemical-degradation testing should be used alongside permeation and penetration tests because degradation alone may not reflect all changes in protective performance.
Applications and who uses this standard
- PPE manufacturers - to evaluate and document material durability and chemical compatibility during product development and quality control.
- Independent test laboratories - to perform standardized degradation tests for compliance, comparison and certification support.
- Occupational health & safety professionals and procurement teams - to select gloves with demonstrated resistance to degradation for specific chemical handling tasks.
- Regulators and conformity assessment bodies - to assess performance claims and support labeling under the ISO 374 series.
Related standards
- ISO 374-1 - terminology and performance requirements for chemical risks
- ISO 21420 - general requirements and test methods for protective gloves
- ISO 23388:2018 - puncture testing / mechanical test details used by this method
- Part of the broader ISO 374 series (chemical and microorganism protection).
Keywords: EN ISO 374-4:2019, protective gloves, resistance to degradation, chemical resistance test, puncture resistance test, continuous contact, glove materials.
