EN ISO 374-5
EN ISO 374-5:2016 specifies terminology and performance requirements for protective gloves designed to protect the wearer against micro-organisms. It is part of the EN 374 series and supplements the requirements in EN ISO 374-1.
Two protection levels are defined:
1. Protection against bacteria and fungi: the glove must pass the penetration test per EN ISO 374-2:2014. Packaging shows a biohazard pictogram without a virus symbol.
2. Protection against viruses (additional): the glove must additionally pass the virus penetration test per ISO 16604 (Method B, using Phi-X174 bacteriophage as surrogate). The pictogram then includes an additional virus symbol.
Gloves with virus protection per EN ISO 374-5 are suited to infection-risk environments such as laboratories, patient care, and chemotherapy handling. They are PPE Category III.
EN ISO 374-5:2016 replaced the earlier EN 374-5:2006. The key change: virus testing is introduced as an optional but clearly marked additional test.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bacterial and virus protection under EN ISO 374-5?
Bacterial/fungal protection: the glove passes the penetration test per EN ISO 374-2 – no virus penetration test required. Virus protection: the glove must additionally pass ISO 16604 Method B. Only gloves that have passed the virus test may display the virus symbol.
Which pictogram indicates virus protection per EN ISO 374-5?
The biohazard pictogram with an additional virus symbol indicates the glove has passed the virus penetration test per ISO 16604. Without the virus symbol, protection covers bacteria and fungi only.
Are EN ISO 374-5 gloves also tested to EN 455?
Not automatically. EN ISO 374-5 applies to PPE protective gloves. If the glove is also approved as a medical device, it must additionally comply with EN 455 and be labelled accordingly.