Decode an EN 388 Glove Marking with a Few Lines of JavaScript

Work gloves sold for mechanical protection carry an EN 388 code such as 4X42C under a shield icon. It looks cryptic, but it is just a fixed-order list of test results, which makes it a nice little parsing exercise.

What the characters mean (EN 388:2016)

1. Abrasion resistance, 0 to 4
2. Coup cut test, 0 to 5, or X if not tested
3. Tear resistance, 0 to 4
4. Puncture resistance, 0 to 4
5. ISO 13997 (TDM) cut test, A to F, or X
6. Optional P if the glove passed the impact test

Higher numbers and later letters mean better results.

The decoder

const CUT_TDM_N = { A: 2, B: 5, C: 10, D: 15, E: 22, F: 30 }; // minimum newtons

function decodeEN388(mark) {
  const m = mark.replace(/\s/g, "").toUpperCase()
    .match(/^([0-4X])([0-5X])([0-4X])([0-4X])([A-FX])?(P)?$/);
  if (!m) throw new Error("Not an EN 388 code: " + mark);
  const lvl = v => (v === "X" ? "not tested" : Number(v));
  return {
    abrasion: lvl(m[1]),
    coupCut: lvl(m[2]),
    tear: lvl(m[3]),
    puncture: lvl(m[4]),
    tdmCutMinN: m[5] && m[5] !== "X" ? CUT_TDM_N[m[5]] : null,
    impact: m[6] === "P",
  };
}

console.log(decodeEN388("4X42C"));

Output:

{ abrasion: 4, coupCut: 'not tested', tear: 4, puncture: 2, tdmCutMinN: 10, impact: false }

Why the coup cut is often X

High-cut fibres can blunt the blade used in the coup test, which makes that result unreliable. For those gloves the TDM letter is the cut rating to trust.

Using it

Filter a product list by minimum levels, for example a TDM cut of C or better for sheet metal and glass, or high abrasion for handling rough cartons all day. Remember that EN 388 covers mechanical risks only; chemical protection is rated under a different standard (EN ISO 374).

PackForge supplies cotton knitted, leather, nitrile, PU coated and rubber gloves in sizes 8 to 11, packed 12 pairs per pack: Industrial hand gloves.