5. Protection and waterproofing

There is a wide variety of rubber gloves available, due to the multiplicity of applications. In the professional sector, they are considered to be personal protective equipment (PPE) and must comply with European Council Directive 89/686/EEC of December 21, 1989, on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment. Gloves must therefore bear the CE mark, following inspection by a laboratory notified by the European Community.

The following types of gloves are considered, among others:

• surgical gloves made of very thin natural rubber; natural rubber's excellent elasticity means that dexterity can be achieved in very thin layers (20 μm);

• electrician's gloves (standard NF EN 60903), often made of natural rubber; these thick gloves (0.5 to 3.5...