In-service recommendations following IEC60903

The following is for guidance only for the maintenance, inspection, retest and use of gloves after purchase.

1 Storage

Gloves should be stored in their container or package (see 5.8). Care should be taken to ensure that gloves are not compressed, folded, or stored in proximity to steam pipes, radiators or other sources of artificial heat or exposed to direct sunlight, artificial light or other sources of ozone. It is desirable that the ambient temperature be between 10 °C and 21 °C.

2 Examination before use

Each time before use, both gloves of a pair should be visually inspected and subjected to a manually applied air test, where practicable. If either glove is thought to be unsafe, the pair should not be used and should be returned for testing.

3 Temperature

Standard gloves should be used in areas having ambient temperatures between –25 °C and +55 °C, and category C gloves should be used in ambient temperatures between –40 °C and +55 °C.

4 Precautions in use

Gloves should not be exposed unnecessarily to heat or light, or be allowed to come in contact with oil, grease, turpentine, white spirit or strong acid.
If protector gloves are worn over rubber insulating gloves, they should be sized and shaped so that the insulating glove will not be deformed from its natural shape. The minimum distance between the cuff of the protector glove and the top of the cuff of the insulating glove should not be less than that specified in Table 4.1.

4.1 – Distances between the cuff of the protector glove and the top of the cuff of the insulating glove

Protector gloves that have been used for any other purpose should not be used to protect insulating gloves. Protector gloves should not be used if they have holes, tears or other defects that affect their ability to give mechanical protection to the insulating glove. Care should be exercised to keep the protector glove free from any contamination that may injure the insulating glove. Contaminated protector gloves should not be used unless they have been thoroughly cleaned of the contaminating substance. The inner surface of the protector gloves should be inspected for sharp or pointed objects; this inspection should be made as often as the insulating gloves are inspected.
When gloves become soiled, they should be washed with soap and water at a temperature not exceeding that recommended by the glove manufacturer, and then thoroughly dried. If insulating compounds, such as tar and paint, continue to stick to the glove, the affected parts should be wiped immediately with a suitable solvent, avoiding excessive solvent use, and then immediately washed and dried as described above.
Gloves which become wet in use or by washing shall be dried thoroughly, but not in a manner that will cause the temperature of the gloves to exceed 65 °C.

5 Periodic inspection and electrical re-testing

No gloves of classes 1, 2, 3 and 4, not even those held in storage, should be used unless they have been tested within a maximum period of six months. The most common periods currently range from 30 days to 90 days.
The tests consist of air inflation to check for air leaks, a visual inspection while pressurized, and then a routine dielectric test.
For class 00 and class 0 gloves, a check for air leaks and a visual inspection may be considered adequate. However, a routine dielectric test may be performed at the owner’s request.
For lined gloves, the test should be carried out by means of an appropriate tester to make sure that gloves are not defective.