The EN 511 standard specifies the requirements and performance levels of work gloves against cold as low as -50°C. Protective devices against: convective cold, contact cold and water penetration. The performance levels against cold go from 0 to 4 for protection against convective and contact cold, while for water penetration, the levels are 0 and 1.
Resistance to convective cold, level 0–4, is based on the thermal insulation properties of the glove, obtained by measuring the cold transfer through convection.
Resistance to contact cold, level 0–4, is based on the thermal resistance of the material the glove is made of, if exposed to contact with a cold object.
Water penetration, level 0-1, where 0 indicates the presence of penetration and 1 its absence.
