DIN EN 16523-1:2015-04

Users involved in the production, use, transportation, and emergency response with liquid chemicals can be exposed to numerous compounds capable of causing harm upon contact with the human body. The harmful effects of these chemicals can range from acute trauma such as skin irritation and burn to chronic degenerative disease, such as cancer. Since engineering controls may not eliminate all possible exposures, attention is often placed on reducing the potential for direct skin contact through the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) that resists permeation, penetration and degradation. The test method described in this part of EN 16523 is intended to be used to evaluate the barrier effectiveness of materials used for protective clothing, gloves and footwear materials against permeation by liquid chemicals. This method does not assess the chemical degradation or penetration of the material. Resistance to penetration by liquid chemicals can be determined by using for example ISO 6530 while resistance to penetration by liquid chemicals under pressure can be determined by using for example ISO 13994. These International Standards are listed in the Bibliography. This method provides tests results in terms of breakthrough time, permeation rate and cumulative permeation, so that the resistance of protective clothing against permeation can be compared. These parameters are key measures of the effectiveness of a material to act as a barrier to the challenge chemical. Such information is used in the comparison of the performances of PPE materials during the process of selecting PPE for protection from hazardous chemicals. Long breakthrough times, low permeation rates and a low cumulative mass designate high-quality materials for barriers.