I've always considered that voltage-rated gloves need to be retested when the date on the glove, if new and sealed in the bag, is a year since past.

Is this the case? I have someone pushing back on me......saying that if the glove is issued to the user on day 364 they can still use it for 6 months.

I read NFPA70E and it's not clear to me what my response should be. Thoughts on that?


On a sidenote......maybe this has been hammered out on Arc Flash Forum a dozen times already.....but I don't know how to search the archives.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts....... especially if they are accompanied by a code reference and/or interpretation

I sought out a technical clarification on this a couple of years ago. The NFPA 70E technical resource informed me that if a pair of gloves is acceptable and is then issued to a person it receives it's full 6 months of life before needing to be dielectrically tested. If a new pair of gloves was 9 months old and then issued to a person I questioned if they would need to be sent for testing in 3 months as this is the lesser of two time frames. On the contrary, once issued the individual has a full 6 months.

When I was doing some research on this I found an OSHA publication: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standard ... protectors

I found this two question FAQ section:

Question 1: Is the noted example correct, that rubber insulating gloves must be tested every 12 months when in service, even if they were issued only three months prior?
Response 1: Yes. According to OSHA's Table I-5, rubber insulating gloves must be tested before first issue and every six months thereafter; and also upon indication that insulating value is suspect, after repair, and after use without protectors. For insulating gloves, the standard clarifies that if the gloves have been electrically tested but not issued for service, they may not be placed into service unless they have been electrically tested within the previous 12 months. However, as explained in OSHA's Electrical eTool, under regular use, the best practice is to test gloves as frequently as monthly.

As you may know, in addition to the requirements in the UFC, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE's) Safety and Health Requirements Manual, EM 385 1-1, paragraph 05.I.03, requires periodic electrical testing for rubber protective equipment.3 For rubber insulating gloves EM 385-1-1 requires such inspection and testing before first issue and every 6 months thereafter.

Question 2: What does OSHA consider to be "first issue" for the rubber insulating gloves?

Response 2: OSHA considers "first issue" to be when the new gloves are removed from their original, manufacturer's packaging. Even if the gloves are simply electrically tested and then returned to storage, OSHA regards the gloves as being issued for use.