Standard EN 16350 - Electrostatic properties

What is EN 16350 standard ?

This European standard defines the test conditions and requirements for electrostatic properties of  protective gloves used in ATEX area (ATmosphere Explosive)

Test Method EN 1149-2
This test method measures the vertical resistance in Ohm (Ω) through the material between two electrodes placed over the opposite surfaces, under a voltage of 100 +/-5 V

Testing conditions  :

•  Relative humidity 25+/-5 %

•  Temperature 23 +/-1 °C

Measurement is done on 5 test pieces, all must pass the vertical resistance limit.

Requirements

The vertical resistance must be below 10⁸ Ω.

Note :

The lower the humidity, the higher the vertical resistance of the test piece.

This standard is very demanding as testing condition requires 25% relative humidity which corresponds to a dry climate that is not representative of all workplace situations.

Most of the gloves used in ATEX area (nitrile/neoprene gloves) do not follow EN 16350, while they do not put end-user at risk.

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