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

This document 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.

Titre manque — Partie 4: Titre manque

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 08-Aug-2024
• ICS: 13.340.10 - Protective clothing
• ICS: 13.340.40 - Hand and arm protection
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 94/SC 14 - Firefighters' personal equipment
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 94/SC 14 - Firefighters' personal equipment
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 09-Aug-2024
• Due Date: 15-Aug-2025
• Completion Date: 09-Aug-2024

Relations

• Revises: ISO 15383:2001 - Protective gloves for firefighters — Laboratory test methods and performance requirements
• Effective Date: 24-Sep-2022
• Revises: 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
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 11999-4
Second edition
PPE for firefighters — Test methods
2024-08
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
Reference number
© ISO 2024
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Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Glove design requirements . 2
4.1 General .2
4.2 Glove body length .2
4.3 Wristlet or cuff .3
4.4 Glove sizing .3
4.4.1 Minimum sizing .3
4.4.2 Hand dimensions . .3
4.4.3 Innocuousness .4
4.4.4 Other design requirements .4
5 Glove sampling, testing, and pretreatment . 4
5.1 General .4
5.2 Sampling levels for testing .4
5.3 Sampling level for determining design compliance .4
5.4 Testing .4
5.5 Pre-treatments .5
5.5.1 Pre-treatment by laundering or dry cleaning .5
5.5.2 Dry conditioning .5
5.5.3 Wet conditioning .5
6 Glove performance requirements . 6
7 Glove thermal performance requirements . 7
7.1 General .7
7.2 Flame resistance .7
7.3 Heat transfer (flame exposure) .8
7.4 Heat transfer (radiant exposure) .8
7.5 Heat transfer (conductive exposure) .9
7.6 Heat resistance .9
7.7 Thread heat resistance.9
8 Glove mechanical performance requirements . 10
8.1 Abrasion resistance . . .10
8.2 Cut resistance .10
8.3 Tear resistance .11
8.4 Burst strength .11
8.5 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 .12
10.1 Dexterity . 12
10.2 Dexterity . 12
10.3 Grip. 12
10.4 Liner inversion . 12
10.5 Ease of donning and doffing . 12
11 Glove test methods .13
11.1 Whole glove integrity test . 13

iii
11.1.1 Principle . 13
11.1.2 Equipment . 13
11.1.3 Specimens . 13
11.1.4 Procedure . 13
11.1.5 Report. 13
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 . 15
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.16
12 Compatibility . 17
13 Marking . . 17
14 Manufacturer’s information . 17
Bibliography .18

iv
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 document 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).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 94, Personal protection — Protective clothing
and equipment, Subcommittee SC 14, Firefighters’ personal equipment.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 11999-4:2015), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— technical and editorial changes have been made throughout the document.
A list of all parts in the ISO 11999 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

v
International Standard ISO 11999-4:2024(en)
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 document 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 are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 811, Textiles — Determination of resistance to water penetration — Hydrostatic pressure test
ISO 3146, 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 — Professional care, drycleaning and wetcleaning of fabrics and garments — Part 1:
Assessment of performance after cleaning and finishing
ISO 6330, Textiles — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
ISO 6942, 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, 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 12947-4, Textiles — Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method — Part 4:
Assessment of appearance change
ISO 13938-1, Textiles — Bursting properties of fabrics — Part 1: Hydraulic method for determination of bursting
strength and bursting distension
ISO 13938-2, Textiles — Bursting properties of fabrics — Part 2: Pneumatic method for determination of
bursting strength and bursting distension

ISO 13994, 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 flame — Method of test for limited flame spread
ISO 16604, 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 17493:2016, Clothing and equipment for protection against heat — Test method for convective heat
resistance using a hot air circulating oven
ISO 21420:2020, Protective gloves — General requirements and test methods
ISO 23388:2018, Protective gloves against mechanical risks
EN 13087-1:2000, Protective helmets — Test methods — Conditions and conditioning
ASTM F2010/F2010M-10, Standard test method for evaluation of Glove effects on wearer finger dexterity using
a modified pegboard test
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 11999-1 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
4 Glove design requirements
4.1 General
Gloves shall consist of a component assembly meeting the design and performance requirements of this
document, ISO 21420 and ISO 11999-1. 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.
4.2 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.

Key
1 dactylion III
a
Stylion.
b
Wrist crease.
c
Proximal edge of navicular.
Figure 1 — Anatomical landmarks at the base of the hand
4.3 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 4.2. 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 4.2.
4.4 Glove sizing
Glove sizing shall be as required in 4.4.1 and 4.4.2.
4.4.1 Minimum sizing
Gloves shall be provided in a range of seven sizes based on cluster analysis to better cover the diverse range
of hand sizes due to gender, race and age. The manufacturer shall indicate the range in hand circumference
and hand length for wearers of each glove size as determined in 4.4.2 and in ISO 21420:2020, 6.1.
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 document. To better cover the diverse
range of hand sizes due to gender, race and age. See Reference [1].
4.4.2 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
Hand length.
Figure 2 — Method of measuring hand dimensions for the selection of proper gloves
4.4.3 Innocuousness
Gloves shall conform the innocuousness of protective gloves requirements specified in ISO 21420:2020, 4.2.
4.4.4 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
5.1 General
Sampling shall be as required in 5.2 and 5.3, testing as required in 5.4, and pretreatment as required in 5.5.
5.2 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.
5.3 Sampling level for determining design compliance
Inspection for determining compliance with the design requirements specified in 4.2 to 4.4 shall be
performed on whole gloves with all labels and accessories.
5.4 Testing
Testing for determining material and component conformity 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.
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.
The uncertainty of measurement for each test method described in this document shall be assessed and
reported according to JCGM 100. One of the following approaches should be used:
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