The principle of this testing is to measure if there is a change in the force required to puncture the glove material after continuous contact of its external surface with a challenge chemical.

This puncture test is very similar to the procedure detailed in the performance standard to assess protection from mechanical risks detailed in EN 388:2016. The force required to push a standard stylus through a sample of the glove material is compared before and after exposure to the challenge chemical.

For more information see the Spotlight article EN 374-4 degradation testing of gloves.