Work Gloves | EN511

EN511 | Cold Hazards | Work Gloves

Be sure your gloves will protect against cold...

There are many different types of work gloves, some are for general handling, some offer cut resistance, some help you grip, some protect against impact, and some are specifically designed to protect your hands from cold temperatures.

Thermally insulated gloves that are intended to keep you warm often have other useful benefits but if they’re primarily designed as a thermal barrier, they should be marked with an EN511 pictogram

EN511

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What is EN511?

The EN511 standard for protective gloves claims protection against cold environments. The standard includes two tests for measuring the perform of thermal insulation; convective cold and contact cold. There is an additonal test which defines if the work glove is waterproof.

Testing to EN511 requires the mechncial tests from EN388 for abrasion and tear resistant especially when the gloves are intended for use in enviroments below -30℃

All winter lined work gloves in the MCR Safety range are tested using this internationally recognised scale. The test involves three separate elements, gloves can be tested for any individual element or all three and the scores make up the three-part EN511 rating. The three elements are as follows:

Convective Cold

This is a test to determine the ability of the glove to insulate your hand against the temperature of your surroundings. Basically measuring heat loss from the glove. Results are measured using a scale of 0 to 4; with 4 indicating the highest level of insulation and therefore keeping your hands the warmest.

Contact Cold

This tests the glove for its ability to block the transfer of cold when holding a cold object or in contact with a cold surface. Possible scores range from 0 to 4; 4 is the highest level of protection and therefore gloves marked with a four will offer the best protection.

Water Permeability

The glove is submerged in water for 30 minutes, if after that time has elapsed, there is no water penetration through the fabric of the glove, this is recorded as a pass. If water does penetrate, the glove will fail. The pictogram will indicate a ‘P’ for ‘pass’ or an ‘F’ for ‘fail’.

Scores are represented in a three-digit pictogram. If an ‘X’ is present at digit 1, 2 or 3, it denotes that the glove has not undergone that element of the test.

MCR Safety Specialist Winter Hand Protection...

Gloves in the MCR Safety range that are designed to protect you from cold are generally referred to as ‘Winter Lined Gloves’. All our winter lined gloves are tested for ‘Contact Cold’ and the result is represented as the middle digit in the pictogram.

When you’re working outside in the winter or indoors with little or no heating, everything you touch feels cold - this is ‘contact cold’.

When you touch something that’s cooler than your body temperature it will cause you to lose valuable warmth. MCR Safety gloves form a barrier between your skin and that cold object or surface, therefore helping you to retain the heat in your hand.

Learn more about potential cold hand hazards and why it’s important to wear the correct Specialist Winter Hand Protection

EN511 Work Gloves