Table 130.7(C)(7) indicates that gloves must be tested before issue and a maximum of every 6 months thereafter. The typical industry practice was to issue 2 sets to a new employee. When 6 months had past, the first set was collected and the second set opened and used. The first set was then sent out for testing and returned in a sealed bag and re-distributed to employee. When the next 6 month interval came up, the second set was collected and the first set bag was opened...repeat.

The latest code clarifies this with a note to the table indicating that previously issued PPE must follow the table. So now, a 6 month process does not work as the glove collection, send out for testing, return, re-distribute process that typically takes 2 months, so by the time the bag is opened, 4 months of it's life has already been used. So to comply with standard, if the collection, send out for testing, re-distribution process takes 2 months, then we need to send out gloves every 4 months.

Are companies picking up on this standard change?

Hi Jim

I am wondering if you may be over reading into 130.7(c) (7)? Correct the standing test interval for rubber insulating gloves is 6 months as per ASTM F496. Some Provincial standards may vary of course. Why is your vendor taking 2 months to test your gloves? Two weeks I can see, but a 2 month turn over?

I agree with the previous post, the turn around time is much too long. Two weeks seems like it's enough time. If they can't make it shorter than 2 months, I'd look for another vendor. And why does it take them 2 months to ship back gloves that were just tested? For example, if the gloves were tested January 1 but they waited until late February to return them, there's something wrong.

To clarify, the vendor is fine for testing turn around. It's the internal process of collecting 95 sets of gloves from our employees in different groups nd then re-distributing. Vacations, workload etc. Under our current practice, we were viewing tested gloves that were sealed in their bags as being factory fresh giving them a 1 year shelf life and then we had 6 months once opened. So, with our current process there is no need to rush the collection process thus the 2 month internal/external processing.

So to comply with 2018 70E, if we go to a 5 1/2 month process, that gives us 2 weeks to turn around. We should be able to do that.
However, if an electrician determines he has a bad glove, he won't have his spare set in the bag as he will be holding onto his expired set until two weeks before the testing date...
So we will need to keep an inventory of in date spares to cover this situation.

What we are missing here is the OSHA standard (1910.137?), that verbiage is pretty clear:

1. Retested or removed from service after six months of use.

2. For gloves not in use, retesting one year past the original tested-on date.

For information purposes, 0 and 00 gloves are difficult, if not impossible to purchase at this point in time.