Electrical Glove Testing Information

FAQS on Rubber Electrical Insulating Protective Gloves

I have included the following information on the frequently asked questions about testing issues on new and used NOVAX Electrical natural rubber insulating gloves.

How are Novax gloves electrically tested?

The manufacturer of NOVAX gloves electrically tests every glove prior to shipment. Each “batch” of gloves is also subjected to a battery of physical and electrical tests to ensure that the gloves meet the D120 Standards. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the gloves have passed the required electrical test within the specified time.

How long does the user have to put new gloves into service?

The user has 12 months from the test date to put new gloves into service.

When should rubber insulating gloves be retested?

There are two standards that prescribe test intervals:

  • OSHA 1910.137 – Must be electrically tested before the first issue and every six (6) months thereafter.
  • OSHA 1910.268 – (Tele-com) – Natural rubber insulating gloves must be electrically tested before first issue, twelve months after first issue and every 9 months thereafter.
  • Any UN-issued glove that has not been tested within twelve months must be re-tested before issue.

How are the NOVAX gloves “marked” with the factory test date?

Each pair is marked with the test date of the initial test completed at the factory. Each glove has an individual serial number that provides traceability back to the factory test.

Retesting verses buying a new pair of gloves.

This is a very common question, and it is primarily a personal use issue. Obviously, these types of gloves prevent “life threatening” accidents, and it is my opinion to purchase a new pair rather than have them tested. The expense to retest gloves and the time it takes to have them tested makes getting a new pair quicker the better and safest option. The type of usage and frequency of the gloves use is another factor to be weighed. 

Frequently asked questions about Novax Rubber Electrical Insulating Protective gloves.

The manufacturer has prepared a nice FAQ brochure which answers many common questions about selecting and using these gloves. You can download the PDF file and print it out as a nice reference for employers and end users to review. See the link below:

Link: Novax FAQ Document

Link to Gloves Line

Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for subscribing to the Glove Guru Blog.

Joe McGarry

The Glove Guru

Electrical Insulating Gloves

A quick tip primer about Novax Electrical Safety Gloves

We have sold the prominent Novax Electrical Insulated Gloves from PIP for over 15 years now, shortly after the Novax Company began producing the Class 0 & 00 Insulating gloves in Malaysia. They have since been used as life-saving protective gloves by our customers in many trades. These work-related trades include applications such as Power Generation, Electrical Contractors, Linemen, Plant Maintenance, Utility Work, Mining Operations, and Electric Vehicle Repair, Service, and Manufacturing.

From an interesting historical perspective, after learning more about electrical shock energy back in 2007, I find it amazing that Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison didn’t perish from their early inventions and tests with electrical energy. As you can imagine, they had no protective means in those early days. Think about it.

The Novax line of rubber insulated gloves are certified under many standards and regulations including 29CFR part 1910; ASTM D120-14a; and the NFPA 70E certifications just to name a few of the most important and popular standards of the 9 standards that these apply to. You can contact me directly if you have a safety standard that you require if that is necessary for your industry.

Note: The natural rubber raw material used in the Novax Gloves Insulating Gloves is kept in its natural aqueous state, as opposed to the solvent dip process used by other manufacturers which uses extensive amounts of volatile compounds (VOC’s). Our Novax gloves retain more of the beneficial physical properties of natural rubber which is demonstrated in the physical property tests required in the ASTM D120 testing requirements. This process also keeps the gloves very nimble and dexterous opposed to competing models.

Testing

Another vital aspect of the Novax brand is that these gloves are “made to order” to ensure that they are compliant with 29 CFR 1910.137 specification which requires testing on first issue and every six months thereafter. Additionally, the Novax Gloves are individually serial numbered for traceability and stamped with the factory manufacturing date. If the insulating gloves have been electrically tested but not issued for service, they may not be placed into service unless they have been electrically tested within the previous 12 months.

Glove Types and Styles

We offer the widest selection of Novax Rubber Insulated Glove sizing and lengths, model types, and electrical classifications which I will cover below. This includes sizes from 7-12 in most models which includes woman’s sizes, and lengths from 11” to 18”, and Electrical Classifications from 00 to 4. Our styles include the traditional Straight Cuffs and Bell-Shaped Cuffs. For those of you new to the glove cuff selection, the Bell-Shaped cuffs are designed for a more comfortable fit under heavy clothing such as winter coats or other types of thick protective sleeves.

EV (Electric Vehicle Gloves) – Class 0

(Class 0 = Use AC Voltage of 1,000 & Use DC Voltage of 1,500)

The Novax Gloves are the most prevalent models used today in Electric Vehicle manufacturing, repair, and maintenance. Currently, the class of choice are the Class 0 models. This may change due to advancements, and it would be wise to check the vehicle manual for the vehicle’s specifications.

These models are often referred to as models used for hybrid electric cars since they were originally designed for hybrid vehicles, but the gloves referred to as “hybrid models” will also work for today’s fully electric vehicles.  They fall into the same Class of 0.

Selecting an Electrical Insulating Glove

How do I know what glove to use?

First, you should determine the maximum voltage that you will be exposed to during your work. Once you have determined the risk, you can use the chart below to determine the appropriate class of glove that will provide you the protection required to complete your job safely. Each class of gloves is clearly marked with the maximum use voltage on the permanent color-coded label.

Leather Protectors

What size of leather protector should I use?

Leather protectors should always be worn with rubber insulating gloves. ASTM F696 provides the specification for the manufacture of Leather Protectors. Leather protectors are sized to be worn on the same size rubber insulating glove so if you wear a size 10 rubber insulating glove you should order a size 10 leather protector.

The length of the protectors are determined by the class. Certain leather protectors are used with specific classes of rubber gloves according to their length. The protectors are not interchangeable with the different classes of rubber gloves.

Cleaning and Storage

How should rubber insulating gloves be cleaned and stored?

Wash in warm water (85oF) with mild detergent, disinfect with a small amount of chlorine bleach. Air or tumble dry at low heat (165oF). Gloves may be dusted lightly with talc to reduce tackiness. Gloves should be stored in a glove bag, finger tips up, hung and not laid flat. Leather protectors should be removed before storage. Never fold gloves. Store in as dry and cool (95oF maximum) location as possible, away from sources of ozone and direct sunlight.

Thank you for subscribing,

Joe McGarry

The Glove Guru

Wash in warm water (85oF) with mild detergent, disinfect with a small amount of chlorine bleach. Air or tumble dry at low heat (165oF). Gloves may be dusted lightly with talc to reduce tackiness. Gloves should be stored in a glove bag, finger tips up, hung and not laid flat. Leather protectors should be removed before storage. Never fold gloves. Store in as dry and cool (95oF maximum) location as possible, away from sources of ozone and direct sunlight.

Glove Guru Blog is rich in glove content


Looking back to 2008 when I started the glove guru blog I didn’t realize the real value that it brings today to our customers old and new. Unlike a collection of news stories and magazine articles posted on our website (which we have), the glove blog brings a wealth of glove information all in one place and remains a permanent archive of old and new posts. It also contains links to external glove information. 
Most people overlook the value of a good blog until they are searching for answer to a question about glove not easily found. It may not seem like a high number but about 30 people a day search our glove blog looking for specific information. My bet is that if you were one of those 30 people and you found what you were looking for, you were very happy you found the blog. 
The blog contains title tags in a right hand navigation bar which can lead you directly to a specific category post or you can use the search bar for other specific glove content. In all, it remains a gold mine of good glove content. 
Examples of popular posts are:
Obviously, not all of the posts are technical or data rich since we do share some fun glove stuff and even some celebrity glove information. 
As a footnote, if you have a glove question and you cannot find an answer on the glove blog, please let us know. Most of the content is usually the result of phone calls from our customers so you will be helping others if you let us  know. 

Celebrating One Million Page Views for Gloves


Early today, Gloves-Online.com reached the astonishing milestone of One Million page views since January 1– and before our busy season. 
Page views are the conservative metric when evaluating web site analytics. For example, if we counted actual hits, the number would be 7 to 10 times higher due to images, etc. You can see this in the chart.
Although we are very proud of this success, I wish to thank all the glove families that made this happen. My thanks (ranked according to their contributions) go to Mr. & Mrs. White Gloves, Leather Gloves, Winter Gloves, Fashion Gloves, Church Gloves, Bamboo Gloves, Sport Gloves, Cotillion Gloves, Usher Gloves, Coated Gloves, Cut Resistant Gloves, Grip Gloves, Fancy Gloves, Parade Gloves, Heat Resistant Gloves, Mechanics Gloves, and Electrician Gloves
To demonstrate the significance of this number, we have not factored (added) in the customers that migrate to our industrial web site from GO to purchase their industrial and safety gloves. The GO Industrial web site is a completely different web site and we obviously don’t share those metrics since many people follow this Blog – a.k.a industrial espionage – but you can perceive those hits. 
For the skeptics out there, I’ve added a web shot image of our actual metric scale which can be enlarged. 
I doubt there is another glove company in the world that has reached this milestone in less than 9 months. After all, we were the very first global glove company on the Internet since 1996. 
I can’t wait to see how successful the internet shop of our fine fashion glove boutique in St. Thomas, USVI, Olga Gloves, becomes.

Electrical Safety Glove Classifications

I often get calls asking what class of rubber insulating gloves is required for specific levels of voltage. The following is information from OSHA. 
Employees who work in close proximity to live electrical current may require a variety of electrical insulating protective equipment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outlines this in their electrical protective equipment standard (29 CFR 1910.137) which provides the design requirements and in-service care and use requirements for electrical-insulating gloves and sleeves as well as insulating blankets, matting, covers and line hoses. 
Electrical safety gloves are categorized by the level of voltage protection they provide. Voltage protection is broken down into the following classes:
Class 00 – Maximum use voltage of 500 volts
Class 0 – Maximum use voltage of 1,000 volts
Class 1 – Maximum use voltage of 7,500 volts
Class 2 – Maximum use voltage of 17,000 volts
Class 3 – Maximum use voltage of 26,500 volts
Class 4 – Maximum use voltage of 36,000 volts 
Other requirements include daily inspections for any damage before each day’s use and retested and certified every six months. 
You can print a copy of the Electrical Glove classification, voltage levels, and labeling chart by clicking on this “CHART” link. 

Gloves used for hybrid vehicle and car repairs, service, and manufacturing.

Hybrid vehicles use high voltage batteries and electric motors for power. The batteries generate quite a shock.
Most consumers and technicians are not cognizant of the amount of power. The voltage can range from 144 volts on a Honda Civic to 500 volts on a Toyota Prius so the battery can pack quite a wallop. Therefore, there is more than enough juice to fry anyone who accidentally comes into contact with the high voltage battery, wiring or power equipment components used in hybrid vehicles.
 
The recommended protection for technicians who service these vehicles is to wear Class 0 rated rubber insulated gloves, which are rated up to 1,000 volts AC. These gloves should be free of any tears, pinholes, or cuts and certified since they have a shelf-life.  See this link for Hybrid Vehicle Gloves.
Also, you must make sure the vehicle is turned OFF before you begin any electrical or mechanical repairs on any hybrid power components.

Salisbury Electrician Linemen’s Gloves – Made in the USA

Gloves-Online is pleased to announce that we now represent the complete line of Salisbury/Honeywell Linemen’s Insulating gloves for electrical workers. 

This is our newest line of Gloves for electrical workers.

Salisbury rubber insulating gloves have earned the reputation for superior performance – meeting and exceeding the requirements of the current ASTM D120 specifications and the IEC EN 60903 Standards.
The Salisbury line includes all Classes in sizes from 7 to 12. The classes of the gloves include 00, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 from 500 volts AC (low voltage) to the 36,000 volts AC (high voltage).
These linemen’s gloves also include the Class 0 range (up to 1,000 AC/1,500 DC) used for the repair and manufacturing of hybrid electric vehicles and automobiles. 
We are proud to offer  these gloves since they are manufactured in the USA not far from our warehouse which provides you with freshly manufactured gloves without the annoyance and worry of purchasing imported linemen’s gloves with limited certification/aging dates.