ISO 11999-4:2015

PPE for firefighters - Test methods and requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in structures - Part 4: Gloves

ISO 11999-4:2015 specifies minimum design and performance requirements for gloves as part of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by firefighters, primarily, but not solely, to protect against exposure to flame and high thermal loads.

Équipement de protection personnelle pour pompiers — Méthodes d'essai et exigences pour les équipements de protection personnelle utilisés par les pompiers qui sont à risque d'une exposition à des niveaux élevés de chaleur et/ou de flamme quand la lutte contre les incendies survient dans les structures — Partie 4: Gants

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 03-Jun-2015
• ICS: 13.340.10 - Protective clothing
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 94/SC 14 - Firefighters' personal equipment
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 94/SC 14 - Firefighters' personal equipment
• Current Stage: 9599 - Withdrawal of International Standard
• Start Date: 09-Aug-2024
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Revised: ISO 11999-4:2024 - PPE for firefighters - Test methods and requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in structures - Part 4: Gloves
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022
• Revised: ISO 11613:1999 - Protective clothing for firefighters - Laboratory test methods and performance requirements
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2013

Overview

ISO 11999-4:2015 - PPE for firefighters (Part 4: Gloves) defines minimum design and performance requirements and associated test methods for gloves used by firefighters who face high levels of heat and/or flame in structural firefighting. Part of the ISO 11999 series, this standard focuses on glove construction, thermal protection, mechanical durability, moisture barriers and ergonomic function to ensure gloves perform under realistic firefighting conditions.

Key Topics

The standard covers a comprehensive set of technical topics and test procedures, including:

• Design requirements

  • Glove body length, wristlet/cuff design and sizing considerations.
  • Material considerations and other mandatory design features.

• Sampling, testing and pretreatment

  • Sampling levels for testing and design compliance.
  • Pretreatment methods (laundering, conditioning, wet pretreatment) before performance testing.

• Thermal performance

  • Flame resistance and several heat-transfer scenarios: flame exposure, radiant exposure, combined flame+radiant, conductive exposure.
  • Heat resistance of materials and thread heat resistance.

• Mechanical performance

  • Abrasion, cut, tear and puncture resistance to assess durability and protective integrity.

• Moisture barrier performance

  • Water penetration, liquid penetration (including runoff), whole-glove integrity and viral penetration resistance.

• Ergonomics and usability

  • Dexterity, grip, liner inversion, and ease of donning/doffing - all tested with specific methods (e.g., whole glove integrity test, grip test, liner inversion test).

• Marking and manufacturer information

  • Requirements for product marking and essential manufacturer information for safe selection and use.

Applications

ISO 11999-4:2015 is used by:

• Glove manufacturers and designers to develop and validate firefighter gloves that meet minimum safety and performance requirements.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies to perform standardized assessments and conformity testing.
• Procurement officers and safety managers in fire services to specify, compare and accept gloves based on objective test criteria.
• Regulators and standards committees when referencing ensemble PPE requirements for structural firefighting.

Practical uses include product development, pre-market testing, specification writing for tenders, and ensuring operational safety and interoperability of firefighter PPE.

Related Standards

• ISO 11999 series (Parts 1–3, and other parts under preparation)
• Normative references cited in the document include standards such as ISO 6942 (radiant heat), ISO 6330 (textile washing), and ISO 3146 (melting behaviour of polymers), which support specific test methods referenced by ISO 11999-4:2015.

Keywords: ISO 11999-4:2015, PPE for firefighters, firefighter gloves, glove testing, thermal protection, firefighting PPE standards.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 11999-4
First edition
2015-06-01
PPE for firefighters — Test methods
and requirements for PPE used
by firefighters who are at risk of
exposure to high levels of heat and/or
flame while fighting fires occurring in
structures —
Part 4:
Gloves
Équipement de protection personnelle pour pompiers — Méthodes
d’essai et exigences pour les équipements de protection personnelle
utilisés par les pompiers qui sont à risque d’une exposition à des
niveaux élevés de chaleur et/ou de flamme quand la lutte contre les
incendies survient dans les structures —
Partie 4: Gants
Reference number
©
ISO 2015
© ISO 2015
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Glove design requirements . 2
4.1 Glove body length . 2
4.2 Wristlet or cuff . 3
4.3 Glove sizing . 3
4.3.1 Minimum sizing . 3
4.3.2 Hand dimensions . 3
4.3.3 Leather chromium VI content . 4
4.3.4 Other design requirements . 4
5 Glove sampling, testing, and pretreatment. 4
5.1 Sampling levels for testing . 4
5.2 Sampling level for determining design compliance . 4
5.3 Testing . 4
5.4 Pretreatments . 5
5.4.1 Pretreatment by laundering or dry cleaning . 5
5.4.2 Conditioning . 5
5.4.3 Wet pretreatment . 5
6 Glove performance requirements . 5
7 Glove thermal performance requirements . 7
7.1 Flame resistance . 7
7.2 Heat transfer (flame exposure) . 8
7.3 Heat transfer (radiant exposure) . 8
7.4 Heat transfer (combined flame and radiant exposure) . 9
7.5 Heat transfer (conductive exposure) . 9
7.6 Heat resistance . 9
7.7 Thread heat resistance .10
8 Glove mechanical performance requirements .10
8.1 Abrasion resistance .10
8.2 Cut resistance .10
8.3 Tear resistance .11
8.4 Puncture resistance .11
9 Glove moisture barrier performance .11
9.1 Water penetration resistance .11
9.2 Liquid penetration resistance .11
9.3 Liquid penetration resistance (runoff method) .12
9.4 Whole glove integrity .12
9.5 Viral penetration resistance .12
10 Glove ergonomic performance requirements .13
10.1 Dexterity .13
10.2 Grip .13
10.3 Liner inversion .13
10.4 Ease of donning and doffing .13
11 Glove test methods .13
11.1 Whole glove integrity test.13
11.1.1 Principle .13
11.1.2 Equipment .13
11.1.3 Specimens .14
11.1.4 Procedure .14
11.1.5 Report .14
11.2 Grip test .14
11.2.1 Principle .14
11.2.2 Equipment .14
11.2.3 Specimens .14
11.2.4 Procedure .14
11.2.5 Report .15
11.3 Liner inversion test .15
11.3.1 Principle .15
11.3.2 Specimens .15
11.3.3 Procedure .15
11.3.4 Determination of baseline donning time .15
11.3.5 Determination of the final donning time .16
11.3.6 Report .16
11.4 Ease of donning and doffing test .16
11.4.1 Principle .16
11.4.2 Specimens .16
11.4.3 Procedure .16
11.4.4 Report .17
12 Compatibility .17
13 Marking .17
14 Manufacturer’s information .17
iv © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 94, Personal protection — Protective clothing
and equipment, Subcommittee SC 14, Fire-fighters’ personal equipment.
ISO 11999 consists of the following parts, under the general title PPE for firefighters — Test methods and
requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and to flame while
fighting fires occurring in structures:
— Part 1: General
— Part 2: Compatibility
— Part 3: Clothing
— Part 4: Gloves
The following parts are under preparation:
— Part 5: Helmets
— Part 6: Footwear
— Part 7: Face and eye protection
— Part 8: Hearing
— Part 9: Firehoods
— Part 10: Respiratory protection
NOTE The number of this draft has been changed from ISO/DIS 11613-4 to ISO 11999-4. The Committee
agreed a new number for this project was appropriate given the scope of the publication of the ISO 11999 series
was to cover ensemble standards. It was further agreed that ISO 11613:1999 would remain current
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 11999-4:2015(E)
PPE for firefighters — Test methods and requirements for
PPE used by firefighters who are at risk of exposure to high
levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in
structures —
Part 4:
Gloves
1 Scope
This part of ISO 11999 specifies minimum design and performance requirements for gloves as part
of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by firefighters, primarily, but not solely, to protect
against exposure to flame and high thermal loads.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3146:2000, Plastics — Determination of melting behaviour (melting temperature or melting range) of
semi-crystalline polymers by capillary tube and polarizing-microscope methods
ISO 3175-1, Textiles — Dry cleaning and finishing — Part 1: Procedures for tetrachloroethylene
ISO 6330, Textiles — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
ISO 6942:2002, Protective clothing — Protection against heat and fire — Method of test: Evaluation of
materials and material assemblies when exposed to a source of radiant heat
ISO 9151, Protective clothing against heat and flame — Determination of heat transmission on exposure to
flame
ISO 11999-1:2013, PPE for firefighters — Test methods and requirements for PPE used by firefighters who
are at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in structures —
Part 1: General
ISO 11999-2, PPE for firefighters — Test methods and requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are
at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in structures — Part 2:
Compatibility
ISO 12127-1, Clothing for protection against heat and flame — Determination of contact heat transmission
through protective clothing or constituent materials — Part 1: Contact heat produced by heating cylinder
ISO 12947-2, Textiles — Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method —
Part 2: Determination of specimen breakdown
ISO 13994:2005, Clothing for protection against liquid chemicals — Determination of the resistance of
protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids under pressure
ISO 13996, Protective clothing — Mechanical properties — Determination of resistance to puncture
ISO 13997, Protective clothing — Mechanical properties — Determination of resistance to cutting by sharp
objects
ISO 15025, Protective clothing — Protection against heat and flame — Method of test for limited flame
spread
ISO 16604:2004, Clothing for protection against contact with blood and body fluids — Determination of
resistance of protective clothing materials to penetration by blood-borne pathogens — Test method using
Phi-X 174 bacteriophage
ISO 17075, Leather — Chemical tests — Determination of chromium(VI) content
ISO 17492, Clothing for protection against heat and flame — Determination of heat transmission on
exposure to both flame and radiant heat
ISO 17493, Clothing and equipment for protection against heat -- Test method for convective heat resistance
using a hot air circulating oven
EN 420:2003 A1:2009, Protective gloves — General requirements and test methods
EN 13087-1:2000, Protective helmets — Test methods — Conditions and conditioning
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 11999-1 apply.
4 Glove design requirements
Gloves shall consist of a component assembly meeting the design and performance requirements of this
part of ISO 11999. The component assembly shall be permitted to be configured as a continuous or joined
single layer or as continuous or joined multiple layers. The component assembly shall be permitted to be
different for the palm, back, and fingers.
4.1 Glove body length
The glove shall extend circumferentially beyond the wrist crease for not less than 25 mm. The location
of the wrist crease shall be determined as shown in Figure 1.
2 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

a
b
c
Key
1 dactylion III
a stylion
b wrist crease
c proximal edge of navicular
Figure 1 — Anatomical landmarks at the base of the hand
4.2 Wristlet or cuff
Gloves can be provided with either a cuff or a wristlet or both. Where gloves are provided with a cuff or a
wristlet, the sample glove body and the cuff or wristlet shall extend circumferentially for at least 50 mm
beyond the wrist crease, taking into consideration the requirement specified in 4.1. Where gloves are
not provided with a cuff or a wristlet, the sample glove shall extend circumferentially for at least 50 mm
beyond the wrist crease, which is a 25 mm addition to the requirement in 4.1.
4.3 Glove sizing
Glove sizing shall be as required in 4.3.1 and 4.3.2.
4.3.1 Minimum sizing
Gloves shall be provided in a minimum of six unique and distinct sizes. The manufacturer shall indicate
the range in hand circumference and hand length for wearers of each glove size as determined in 4.3.2.
NOTE The intent of this requirement is to allow manufacturers to report information to the user that assists
in their selection of the appropriate size. Standard sizes are not defined by this part of ISO 11999.
4.3.2 Hand dimensions
Hand dimensions for the selection of proper glove size shall consist of measuring two dimensions,
namely hand circumference and hand length, as shown in Figure 2.
Hand circumference shall be measured by placing the measuring tape on a table or other flat surface
with the numerals facing downward. The subject shall place the right hand, palm down and fingers
together, in the middle of the tape so that the tape can pass straight across the knuckles (metacarpals).
The circumference shall be measured to the nearest millimetre, 20 mm from the crotch between the
thumb and the index finger, as shown in Figure 2.
Hand length shall be measured by placing the subject’s hand, palm down, on a piece of paper with the
fingers together and the hand and arm in a straight line. The thumb shall be fully abducted, extended
away from the palm as far as possible. The paper shall be marked at the tip of the third, or middle, finger.
A pencil mark shall be placed in the notch at the base of the thumb where the thumb joins the wrist. The
straight-line distance between the two points shall be measured to the nearest millimetre, as shown in
Figure 2.
Dimensions in millimetres
a
Key
a hand length
Figure 2 — Method of measuring hand dimensions for the selection of proper gloves
4.3.3 Leather chromium VI content
Leather used in the construction of gloves shall have a Cr(VI) content of less than 3 mg/kg when tested
in accordance with ISO 17075.
4.3.4 Other design requirements
Gloves shall be designed to be close fitting at the wrist to restrict the entry of embers or foreign particles
through the glove openings.
5 Glove sampling, testing, and pretreatment
Sampling shall be as required in 5.1 and 5.2, testing as required in 5.3, and pretreatment as required in
5.4.
5.1 Sampling levels for testing
Unless otherwise specified, the number and size of specimens for the different tests shall be in accordance
with the respective standards.
5.2 Sampling level for determining design compliance
Inspection for determining compliance with the design requirements specified in 4.1 to 4.3 shall be
performed on whole gloves with all labels and accessories.
5.3 Testing
Testing for determining material and component compliance with the requirements specified in
Clauses 6 to 9 shall be performed on samples representative of materials and components used in the
actual construction of the protective glove. If suitably sized representative materials and components
for the respective test method cannot be obtained, then samples from the glove shall be used as specified
in the performance requirement. The responsible testing laboratory organization shall be permitted to
also use sample materials cut from representative protective gloves.
4 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

In all surface tests, the outermost surface shall be exposed.
In all tests involving measurements, the determination of compliance shall be based on the mean value
unless otherwise specified.
5.4 Pretreatments
Pretreatments shall be as required in 5.4.1 to 5.4.3.
NOTE Pretreatments are done to provide uniformly treated materials for testing. Ageing, life expectancy,
and washing instructions are not to be confused with the following pretreatments.
5.4.1 Pretreatment by laundering or dry cleaning
Pretreatment by laundering or dry cleaning is done to remove finishes and contaminants.
Where specified, test samples shall be subjected to five washing/drying cycles in a front-loading
horizontal drum machine using 1 g/l no. 2 (IEC) detergent in soft water in accordance with the procedures
of ISO 6330. Washing shall be carried out using procedure 2N at 60 °C ± 3 °C and drying using procedure
E (tumble drying) unless otherwise specified in the care labelling.
Materials that are labelled as dry cleanable only shall be dry cleaned five times in accordance with
ISO 3175-1.
A laundry bag shall not be used.
After five cycles of washing/drying or dry cleaning, sample gloves shall be donned by a test subject and
shall be flexed by making a tight fist 10 times during a 30 s period.
5.4.2 Conditioning
Unless otherwise specified in the specific test methods, all specimens shall be conditioned at 20 °C ± 2 °C
and relative humidity of 65 % ± 5 % for a minimum of 24 h prior to testing.
Sample gloves and sample specimens shall be tested within 5 min after removal from conditioning.
5.4.3 Wet pretreatment
Sample gloves or sample specimens shall be conditioned by co
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