The issue of impact protection

Back-of-hand bones and soft tissue are extremely vulnerable to impact-related hand injuries. Identifying appropriate hand protection is imperative in impact-related issues and pinch injuries – and having the right standard in place is paramount for this process.

• EN 388 only tests 1 area - Impact on the knuckles. 4 gloves are tested in the same spot
• The EN 388 test is given a simple Pass (P) or Fail (F) rating, an untested glove will be given a score of Not Tested (X)
• The marking for this test is displayed in the 6th position under the EN 388 icon
• A pass = the transmitted mean force is calculated from the 4 tested gloves. This needs to be less than or equal to 7 kN with no single results greater than 9 kN or put simpler 65% absorption of the 20KJ force
• The score of P, F, or X is designated in the diagram below

• The ISEA 138 standard lists test results with performance level of 1, 2 or 3 and fail
• In comparison to the EN 388 standard, this standard tests both the knuckles and fingers
• This means the results give more accurate and glove specific results to the areas most susceptible to injury
• Testing is performed using 18 drops – 4 defined points in the knuckle area x 2 gloves equalling 8 tests and 5 defined points on the fingers x 2 Gloves equalling 10 tests
• The force transfer is again measured in Kn. With a lower Kn force transfer - the higher the impact resistance. In other words, less impact is felt in the hand with a lower Kn reading and the wearer is assured of increased protection
  • 9kN – 6.5kN force transfer to the hand delivers a minimum 55% force absorption = level 1 rating
  • 6.5kN – 4kN force transfer to the hand delivers a minimum 67.5% force absorption = level 2 rating
  • Anything under 4kN force transfer to the hand delivers a minimum 80% force absorption = level 3 rating – the highest
  • Anything above a 9kN transfer = a fail
• If the knuckle and finger impact tests deliver different transfer force ratings, only the lowest rating is given to the overall glove impact performance. This ensures a consistent representation of the impact protection between the knuckle and fingers. For example: