Every CE-marked safety glove carries markings - a CE mark, pictograms, performance codes, and reference numbers - and most buyers cannot fully decode them. EN 420 (now EN ISO 21420) sets the general requirements every protective glove must meet, and the CE marking system governs how gloves are certified and labelled for the EU. Here is what the marks mean and what a buyer must verify.
EN 420 / EN ISO 21420 - The Baseline Every Glove Meets
EN 420 (updated to EN ISO 21420) is the general requirements standard that every protective glove sold in the EU must meet, regardless of its specific hazard protection. It covers the basics: glove construction and innocuousness (the glove itself must not harm the wearer - pH, chromium VI in leather, restricted substances), sizing and dexterity, comfort, water-vapour transmission, and the information and marking that must accompany the glove. Think of it as the foundation: a cut-resistant glove meets EN 388 for cut performance and EN ISO 21420 for the general requirements. When a buyer asks about glove compliance, EN ISO 21420 is the baseline underneath the hazard-specific standards.
The CE Marking System and PPE Categories
CE marking shows a glove conforms to EU PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Crucially, the certification rigour depends on the PPE risk category. Category I (minimal risk - e.g. light gardening gloves) allows self-certification. Category II (intermediate risk - most general safety gloves) requires EU type-examination by a Notified Body. Category III (irreversible or fatal risk - chemical, cut at high levels, thermal, electrical) requires type-examination plus ongoing production surveillance by a Notified Body. The category determines how much independent oversight backs the CE mark. A buyer should know their glove's category and that a Category III glove carries a four-digit Notified Body number on it - if it does not, the marking is suspect.
Reading the Pictograms and Performance Codes
CE-marked gloves carry hazard pictograms with adjacent performance codes. The shield/hammer pictogram = mechanical risks (EN 388), followed by its code (abrasion, cut, tear, puncture, and the letter for TDM cut). The flask = chemical (EN 374) with letter codes for tested chemicals. The flame = heat/fire (EN 407). The snowflake = cold (EN 511). Each pictogram tells you what the glove was tested against, and the code tells you how it performed. A pictogram without understanding the code is half the information - a glove can show the cut pictogram at a low level. We cover the specific codes in our guides on cut resistance and chemical resistance.
What Must Be Marked on the Glove and Packaging
EN ISO 21420 specifies what information must accompany a glove. On the glove (or smallest pack if marking the glove is impractical): manufacturer identification, glove designation, size, CE mark, and the relevant pictograms with performance levels. With the product: the manufacturer details, the standards met, an explanation of the pictograms and performance levels, care and storage instructions, and for Category III the Notified Body number. A buyer should verify the actual marking and the accompanying information match the claimed performance - missing or inconsistent marking is a red flag that the certification may not be genuine. Marking is not decoration; it is a regulatory requirement and a verification tool.
Innocuousness - The Glove Must Not Harm the Wearer
A part of EN ISO 21420 that buyers overlook: the glove itself must be safe to wear (innocuous). This includes pH within a safe range, chromium VI below limits in leather (a real issue for chrome-tanned leather gloves - see our leather guide), restricted azo dyes, and limits on substances of concern - overlapping with EU REACH (see our REACH guide). So even a glove with great hazard protection can fail the general requirements if the materials are not innocuous. For EU sales, the innocuousness testing (pH, chromium VI, etc.) is part of the compliance package, not optional. Require it alongside the hazard-specific performance.
UKCA and Other Market Marks
Since Brexit, the UK has its own UKCA marking (broadly mirroring CE/PPE requirements) for the GB market, though CE has been accepted for a transition - check the current position for your timing. The US does not use CE; it relies on ANSI/ISEA standards and (for medical/food) FDA pathways. So a glove sold into the EU, GB, and US may need CE, UKCA, and ANSI alignment respectively. A buyer selling across markets must know which mark each requires - a CE mark does not make a glove compliant for the US, and an ANSI rating does not satisfy the EU. Map the markings to your target markets so you are not surprised at a border or a retail onboarding.
How to Vet Marking and Certification
To verify a glove's CE marking is genuine: confirm the PPE category and that a Category II/III glove has EU type-examination from a Notified Body (ask for the certificate and the body's four-digit number); confirm the pictograms and performance codes match a real test report from an accredited lab (see our testing labs guide); confirm EN ISO 21420 general requirements including innocuousness; and check the marking on the glove and the accompanying information are present and consistent. A supplier who provides the Notified Body certificate, the test reports, and correct marking is operating properly; vague claims or missing Notified Body numbers on Category III gloves are disqualifying. The broader vetting checklist applies.
Our Honest Position on CE Marking
We treat CE marking and EN ISO 21420 as the regulatory requirements they are, not a sticker: we provide the Notified Body type-examination certificates for Category II/III gloves, the accredited test reports behind every pictogram and performance code, the EN ISO 21420 general-requirements and innocuousness testing (including chromium VI for leather), and correct marking with the accompanying information. We will tell you your glove's PPE category honestly and what certification it genuinely requires for your market - CE, UKCA, or ANSI alignment - rather than waving one mark at every question. In a category where the marking is a legal and safety claim, we make sure the marks on our gloves are ones you can defend.
Coming to Yiwu or Hangzhou?
We host roughly 40-60 buyer visits a year. Workshop A & B run Mon-Sat; Workshop C (cut-resistant) Mon-Fri. Book a slot two weeks ahead and we can pull random samples from any active production line for you to inspect.
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