Electrical Gloves: What Do The Different Class Ratings Mean?

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Electrical shock and arc flash are the two main ways electricity will try and kill you. When you put on a pair of certified and tested high-voltage gloves, you can feel confident that you have almost entirely eliminated the risk of electrical shock. Gloves are so crucial to electrical workers that glove pouches have the phrase “ALWAYS WEAR YOUR GLOVES” stitched onto the front. We're serious about gloves, and for a good reason.

The layers are necessary in most cases. If the gloves have imperfections, cuts, or pinholes, they cannot be used. The leather protectors help prevent wires and tools from damaging the rubber gloves.

Electrical Glove Classes

The class breakdown for these gloves is very straightforward. There are six classes of electrical gloves, and you know which class you need based on the voltages you will be encountering. ASTM did a great job of keeping this class system simple, and OSHA lays out all of these guidelines in standard 29 CFR 1910.137.

Even though the wearer is wearing the gloves, they may be at risk of becoming the path to the ground. To prevent this, you must keep a minimum cuff gap.

• Class 00 requires a minimum of a ½" gap between the leather protector's cuff and the rubber glove's cuff.
• Class 0 also requires a minimum of a ½" gap between the leather protector's cuff and the rubber glove's cuff.
• Class 1 also requires a minimum of a 1" gap between the leather protector's cuff and the rubber glove's cuff.
• Class 2 also requires a minimum of a 2" gap between the leather protector's cuff and the rubber glove's cuff.

Are you seeing a pattern here?

• Class 3 also requires a minimum of a 3" gap between the leather protector's cuff and the rubber glove's cuff.
• Class 4 also requires a minimum of (you guessed it) a 4" gap between the leather protector's cuff and the rubber glove's cuff.

Higher classes require a significant gap because those gloves work with higher voltage, and more considerable clearing distances are needed with higher voltages.

Electrical Glove Testing/Programs

When talking about testing electrical gloves, there are two types of tests. Field testing should be done before every use, and lab testing is required every 6 months.

Field testing. First, you need to do a visual inspection looking for cuts, holes, discoloration, etc. If it looks good, move on to the air test. You can inflate your glove with a glove inflator or roll up the bottom of the glove so that the top half fills up with air, and you can check for any pinholes or cuts where the air is escaping. Feel around and listen carefully for any escaping air. If there are no issues, you are good to go. If you find any problems, those gloves cannot be used and must be removed from service.

Unlike most other work gloves, these electrical gloves need to be managed and tested. It is easy to keep track of one pair of gloves. If you are responsible for a fleet, you will need to put together a program to remove gloves from service for lab testing without interrupting workflow. Many companies use spreadsheets to keep track. Some companies use specialized software.

Companies will also set up a label color system. Green gloves were serviced sometime in Q1, blue gloves for Q2, Red for Q3, and Yellow for Q4. By Q4, most of the gloves in your fleet will be red and yellow. If you see a blue, green, or any other color gloves, you’ll know to check those gloves immediately and remove them from service. Quick and easy visual indicators help keep track of gloves easy and safe.

After being tested, the gloves can be put into service anytime in the next 12 months. From the day they are put into service, they have 6 months until they require testing again.

For example, gloves tested in January will need to be put into service before next January. If those gloves are scheduled for service next February, they will need to be re-tested before use. But, if those same gloves are put into service in October of the same year of testing, they will not need to be re-tested until next March.

PowerPak offers in-house glove testing and certification per ASTM guidelines. The gloves are tested, certified, and returned within 48 hours. We provide free pick up and delivery for customers within our delivery range.

The lab testing starts with a visual test to check for cracks, punctures, pinholes, or other issues. The gloves are then inflated and checked for leaks.

The gloves are tested at higher voltages than what they are rated at.

Few things in the industry are as easy as finding the right size pair of gloves, finding the right leather covering, and learning how to test and service your gloves regularly. So don’t forget, ALWAYS WEAR YOUR GLOVES. Stay safe.

For those in need of high voltage gloves and leather protectors, here is PowerPak’s line of electrical gloves and leather protectors.