Leather Work Glove Inspection in India

How leather work gloves are made

Industrial leather gloves (HS 4203 29 10) were worth US$196.52 million of exports in FY2025-26 (Department of Commerce, TradeStat, provisional). Most are made in high volumes from split cow or buffalo leather, the lower layers of the hide that are too rough for bags but tough and cheap.

The main styles are:

Rigger and canadian gloves: split leather palm with a cotton drill back and a canvas or rubberised safety cuff.
Full leather gauntlets for handling and general industry.
Drivers' gloves: grain cow or goat leather, unlined, with a closer fit for dexterity.
Welding gloves: long-cuff split leather gloves, usually lined and sewn with heat-resistant thread.
Heat-resistant gloves for foundries and kitchens, often with extra lining layers.

Pieces are die-cut by size, the palm patch and fingertip reinforcements are sewn on, and fingers are joined with fourchettes (side strips) and closed. The thumb crotch, between thumb and index finger, takes the most stress and is where seams fail first.

What we check on leather work gloves

Check	How it is checked	What fails
Marking against the certificate	Glove marking read and compared with the EU type-examination certificate, declaration of conformity and the user information you hold	Missing CE marking, EN 388 levels or pictograms different from the certificate, wrong model reference
Construction matches the certified model	Palm material, lining, thread, cuff and reinforcements compared with the certified sample and its technical description	Lining left out, thinner palm, cotton thread instead of the certified thread
Size	Size marking checked; sample gloves measured and fitted against the size range in your specification	Size marking missing or wrong, a size 10 that fits like a 9, mixed sizes in a pack
Palm leather	Thickness gauge on the palm; grain or split; holes, thin spots and scars	Below specified thickness, holes, scars that weaken the palm
Seams	Thumb crotch, fingertips, fourchettes and cuff joint examined and pulled by hand	Open seams, skipped stitches, raw edges not caught
Pairing	Left and right hands, size and colour checked in each pair	Two left hands, mismatched sizes
User information	Instructions, language versions and pack labelling checked against the approved artwork	Missing instructions or wrong language for the market

Common leather work glove defects and how they are classed

Defect	Typical cause	Class
Marking or performance levels not matching the certificate	Old artwork, wrong stamp, uncertified model	Critical
Welding glove sewn with ordinary thread or missing its lining	Material substitution	Critical
Hole or open seam in the palm or fingers	Hide defect cut into the palm, skipped stitching	Major
Palm leather below specified thickness	Thinner split lot	Major
Wrong size marked or not a pair	Sorting at packing	Major
Cuff joint stitched off the edge	Speed, poor alignment	Minor
Colour variation between pairs	Different leather lots	Minor

Your defect list decides the final class.

Rules for protective gloves

EU PPE Regulation. Gloves sold as protection are personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Category I covers only minimal risks, such as superficial mechanical injury; Category III covers risks with very serious consequences. Most leather work gloves sold against mechanical risks fall in Category II, which needs EU type-examination by a notified body (Module B), conformity to type based on internal production control (Module C), an EU declaration of conformity and CE marking. EU type-examination certificates have a limited validity, so check the expiry date. Great Britain applies its own version; see UKCA and CE marking.

Standard	What it covers	What the inspector looks for
EN ISO 21420	General requirements: innocuousness, sizing by hand circumference and length, marking and information. For leather it sets a pH above 3.5 and below 9.5 and chromium VI below 3 mg/kg	Size and marking on each glove; samples pulled for pH and chromium VI
EN 388	Mechanical risks: abrasion, blade cut, tear and puncture shown as digits, a letter for the ISO 13997 cut test and P for impact where claimed; X means not tested	The levels printed on the glove match the certificate
EN 407 / EN 12477	Thermal risks; protective gloves for welders	Pictograms and type on the glove match the certificate; lining and thread as certified

United States. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138 requires employers to select hand protection suited to the hazard; ANSI/ISEA 105 is the voluntary classification many US buyers ask for. Chromium VI in the leather matters in every market; see chromium VI in leather.

Fashion leather gloves

Dress gloves in lamb or hair-sheep nappa are a different product. They are not PPE as long as they make no protective claim; a glove marketed with a protective claim, such as cut resistance, becomes PPE (gloves for private use against ordinary weather are excluded). Inspection focuses on fit and finish: size by hand girth against the size chart, finger length, fourchettes without tears, lining (silk, cashmere, wool or fleece) sitting smoothly, points stitching on the back of the hand straight, and touchscreen fingertips working on a phone if claimed. Chromium VI and azo dye limits apply in the EU, because gloves are worn directly on the skin; see azo dyes.

Packing and your purchase order

Work gloves are usually packed in pairs, bundled by dozens and boxed by size. Retail packs need hang cards with the CE marking and pictograms where shown on the approved artwork, and user information in the selling country's language. The inspector checks pairs, sizes, dozens per bundle, carton marks and leather moisture, as damp split leather moulds quickly.

Put these in your purchase order:

Model reference and the certificate number it relates to.
Palm and back materials, leather thickness, lining, thread and cuff.
Exact marking on the glove: CE marking, pictograms, levels, size, model.
Size range and size ratio per carton.
User information and pack artwork per market.
Test reports: chromium VI and pH from the leather lot used.

For textile oven gloves, see kitchen linen. Book an inspection.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do leather work gloves need a notified body?

For the EU, yes, when they are Category II or III PPE, which covers most gloves claiming EN 388 mechanical protection. A notified body issues the EU type-examination certificate before the CE marking is applied. Category I gloves for minimal risks can be self-certified.

Can you test EN 388 performance at the factory?

No. Abrasion, cut, tear and puncture levels are lab tests. The inspector checks that the gloves are built like the certified model and marked with the same levels, and can pull samples for a lab.

Is a CE marked glove automatically compliant?

No. The marking only means something if the glove matches the certified model. Thinner palm leather, a missing lining or different thread can change the protection while the stamp stays the same, which is why construction is compared with the certificate.

Are fashion leather gloves PPE?

Not if they are sold purely as clothing with no protective claim. Once a glove claims protection against a risk such as cuts, it falls under the PPE Regulation. Gloves for private use against weather that is not extreme are excluded.

Do you inspect gloves for the US market?

Yes. The checks are the same, against the buyer's specification and any ANSI/ISEA 105 classification claimed on the pack. US law places the duty to choose suitable gloves on the employer, so buyers rely on the test report and the label.

Know before it ships

Tell us the product, the factory's city and your ready date. We confirm the inspector, the notice time and the price before you book.

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Leather work glove inspection in India