ATTENTION! There is no such thing as a universal protective glove!

Protective gloves against chemicals and microorganisms as part of personal protective equipment (PPE) must meet a number of criteria to provide effective protection against potentially hazardous substances and biological agents. These criteria relate to both the material properties of the gloves and compliance with certain norms and standards. Protective gloves as part of PPE are generally divided into categories I, II, and III. Protective gloves against chemicals and microorganisms are invariably assigned to category III and must bear the CE mark. Category III corresponds to high protection requirements that protect against fatal hazards or serious and irreversible damage to health. The protection provided by chemical gloves depends on their degradation, penetration, and permeation performance. Chemical gloves are tested using standard procedures against 18 reference chemicals and are divided into three performance levels according to their permeation performance. Types A and B meet at least performance level 2 against at least 6 and 3 of the tested reference chemicals, respectively. Type C corresponds to at least performance level 1 against one or more test chemicals from the list of 18. The gloves are marked with the “Erlenmeyer flask” pictogram in combination with the type designation. The code letters A to T also indicate which chemicals the glove has been tested against. When it comes to protective gloves against microorganisms, a distinction is made between protective gloves against bacteria and fungi and those which also protect against viruses. Both types are marked with the “Protection against Microorganisms” pictogram ( biohazard on a white background ). If protection is provided against viruses, the word “VIRUS” is written below the pictogram. The acceptable quality level (AQL value) is also important when working with biological substances, among other things. The AQL value indicates the proportion of defective disposable gloves within a batch (the lower the better). According to the Technical Rules for Biological Agents (TRBA 100), employees performing activities at protection level 3 or 3** or higher must wear suitable protective gloves with an AQL value of at least ≤ 1.5. From protection level 4, two pairs of Category III gloves with an AQL value ≤ 1.5 must be worn, with at least the outer glove being tightly fastened to the cuffs of the protective suit. Further information on selecting suitable protective gloves and relevant standards can be found on the websites of the German Social Accident Insurance ( DGUV ), the Employers' Association for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry ( BG RCI ) and in the Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS 401).