Discover how Ansell's service can help you make smarter, safer chemical PPE choices.
tonnes of chemicals produced in the EU are hazardous to health.1
workers lose their lives each year due to exposure to hazardous chemicals.2
In chemical protection, even low-level exposure can have serious consequences. That's why safety managers must look beyond surface-level durability when selecting chemical PPE. Two essential metrics to understand are permeation and cumulative permeation - and both play a crucial role in evaluating long-term chemical safety.
Permeation is the process where chemicals pass through PPE materials on a molecular level - without visible damage. It differs from penetration (through holes or tears) and degradation (material breakdown). Lab tests like EN 16523, EN 374:2016, or ASTM F739 measure the Breakthrough Time (BT) - how long it takes for a chemical to begin passing through the material. A longer BT suggests stronger resistance to that specific chemical.
Breakthrough Time only tells you when the chemical starts to get through, not how much actually permeates over time. That's where cumulative permeation comes in. It measures the total amount of chemical that passes through, typically in microgrammes per square centimetre (μg/cm2).
This matters because even gloves with a BT over 480 minutes can still allow a harmful chemical dose to accumulate. For example, if 420 μg/cm2 permeates through a glove during that time, that could amount to over 150 milligrammes of exposure - which is far from safe.
By combining other factors like the chemical's health risks, how easily it's absorbed through skin, other hazards (like cuts or punctures), how long and under what conditions the PPE is used, and how exposure might happen (splash, immersion, etc.), you can better estimate how long the PPE can be worn safely.
Selecting the right PPE can be overwhelming, especially when dealing with hundreds of chemicals and varying workplace conditions. That's where AnsellGUARDIAN Chemical steps in. This specialised service is designed to help you make smarter, safer PPE choices by offering:
With data-driven recommendations and real-world expertise, AnsellGUARDIAN Chemical helps you protect your workers more effectively and improve workplace safety outcomes.
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