Flammability testing of gloves is important for those who work in environments with flash fire hazards. Motorsport, film production, pyrotechnic control and petrochemical manufacturing are just a few examples of industries with significant flash fire risk. The gloves used for protection in these areas need to be able to protect workers in the event of a catastrophe. There are a number of standards across the industries that are applicable in this case.
First is the SFI foundation. This is a motorsport certification that sets standards for protective clothing, including gloves. In Episode 2 of this series we reviewed the TPP and this is the staple of the SFI branding as this allows drivers to easily choose the level of protection needed for the given race series. The certified gloves are also tested selectively for flammability. SFI does not test leather for flammability and only tests the outer layer of the glove in the palm, back of hand and fourchettes. Given enough time and heat, leather will degrade via a non-propagating flame. For this reason, using the SFI testing methodology for gloves in any other use case than driver gloves can provide for a confusing protective landscape. Those in racetrack safety, pit crews and recovery crews have different requirements for their hand protection than those behind the wheel and they should be evaluated as such. The AzoShield 211 FR glove is intentionally evaluated by a third party testing company to the ANSI/ASTM standard to give a more accurate picture of the protective performance of the glove.
NFPA 2112 is a rating used in many industries that require flash fire protection. This is a test designed for non-glove clothing but has recently been accepted for use in hand protection. Gloves certified to this rating require flammability testing done with a methane flame exposure for 12 seconds. All materials are tested to a pass/fail result that include a <2 second afterflame, <4in char length and no drip/melt. This is a challenging test to pass for gloves and flammability is generally not the only protective consideration for hand protection. Gloves also need to be durable and have the appropriate cut, puncture or abrasion resistance.
The ANSI ecosystem of testing all self reported and ANSI does not hand out certifications. This makes it important to verify if the manufacturer is doing their own testing or its being done in a certified third party laboratory. These ratings are easy to understand and unlike NFPA 2112, they have levels of protection. The marketing surrounding the ANSI conductive heat and the ANSI ignition & Burn ratings can lead to confusion. The ANSI ignition & Burn rating uses a methane flame and exposes all glove materials to flame for 3 seconds and 12 seconds and observes for ignition, burn characteristics and afterflame. The rating system can be referenced here:
The ANSI conductive heat test will expose the glove to a heat source and measure the time it takes to incur a second degree burn at a given temperature. There is no flammability component to this test and this is why there can be confusion about the appropriate PPE for a given situation.
The take home here is to know the use case for your PPE and understand the standards your glove is being tested to. It’s important to understand the limitations of your PPE so that a false sense of protection does not occur. Use the right glove for the right situation. See how Azotherm Safety Apparel can meet your flame resistant glove needs at www.azothermsafety.com/shop.
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