Buying CE-marked PPE is the easy part. Knowing whether it actually protects against what you are working with — that is a different question. This guide walks through the steps that matter, so you can pick PPE that works in practice, not just on paper.

Step 1: Start With the Exposure Route, Not the Product

The most common mistake in PPE selection is opening the product catalogue first. Start with the hazard instead. Ask yourself: how does this chemical actually enter the body during our process?

The four main exposure routes are:

• Skin contact — splashes, spills, or touching contaminated surfaces
• Inhalation — breathing in vapours, mist, aerosols, or fine dust
• Eyes and face — liquid splash, chemical vapour, or reactions that emit UV
• Ingestion — indirect, via contaminated hands or surfaces

Section 8 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is where you start. It covers exposure limits, the PPE your process actually needs, and how to handle the substance safely. Open it before you open any product catalogue.

Try this before you reach for a catalogue. For each chemical you work with, finish this sentence: "The way this substance is most likely to get into my body during this task is _____." That answer tells you where to focus first.

Step 2: Classify the Hazard Correctly

Pick the wrong hazard class and the rest of your PPE choices will be off too. These are the five types that come up most in research and industrial lab settings:

• Corrosives (acids and bases) — skin contact causes damage fast. The breakthrough time of your glove has to be longer than your actual working time. A glove that holds up for 30 minutes is no good for a full shift.
• Solvents — a lot of common glove materials let solvents through quicker than people expect. Nitrile gets used as the go-to, but it does a poor job against aromatic and chlorinated solvents.
• Toxic and carcinogenic substances — short, occasional exposures can seem harmless, but they stack up. Your gloves and suit need to hold up over the long haul, not just during a one-time incident.
• Flammable and reactive chemicals — your gloves and suit need anti-static properties, full stop. Also check whether your PPE material reacts with oxidisers — the wrong combination can create a hazard of its own.
• Biological and mixed hazards — when chemical and biological risks show up together — which happens more than people expect in pharma and industrial research — your PPE has to cover both at once.

Step 3: Match the Material to the Chemical

There is no one-size-fits-all glove material. A quick breakdown of the most common options:

• Nitrile — handles oils, many acids, and general-use solvents well. Struggles with ketones and aromatic compounds.
• Butyl rubber — best gas and vapour permeation resistance. Weak against hydrocarbons.
• Neoprene — broad chemical range. Moderate breakthrough times.
• Latex — high dexterity, good against bases and alcohols. Allergen risk; poor against solvents.
• PVC — a budget-friendly pick for acids, bases, and salts. Stiff in the hand and less comfortable for detailed work.

Always verify the breakthrough time (EN 374-3) for your specific chemical — not the material in general. A nitrile glove rated >480 minutes against acetonitrile can fail in under 30 minutes against methylene chloride. Ask the manufacturer for their permeation data — not generic claims.

For body protection, suits are classified under EN 14605 by sealing performance. Type 6 covers minimal liquid splash; Type 3 handles high-pressure jet spray; Type 1 is gas-tight and fully encapsulating for the most hazardous environments. Always match the type to your actual task conditions — not just the worst-case scenario on paper.

Step 4: Protect Eyes, Face, and Airways

Chemical splash causes more eye injuries in labs than most people realise — and almost all of them are avoidable. Safety glasses alone are not enough in most chemical handling situations. Use indirect-vented splash goggles (EN 166) for any splash or vapour risk, and add a face shield on top when pouring or handling reactive substances. Goggles and face shields work as a pair. The shield goes over the goggles — it does not take their place.

What you need for your airways depends on what is in the air and how much of it is there. Here is how to match the equipment:

• FFP2/FFP3 masks (EN 149) — these work for solid dusts and materials that do not produce vapour. That is the limit of their use.
• Half-face respirators with OV cartridges (EN 140) — works well for most organic vapour tasks in a space with reasonable airflow.
• Full-face respirators — the step up when vapour levels are getting close to the limit your body can safely handle.
• Supplied-air or SCBA — required when the environment itself is dangerous, whether from toxic concentration or low oxygen.

Worth repeating: an organic vapour filter does nothing against acid gases. The cartridge has to match the specific substance — not just a general chemical category.

Step 5: Check the EN Norm — Then Go Further

Under the EU PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425, chemical protective equipment for serious hazards falls under Category III — requiring CE marking with a four-digit notified body number. That is the minimum. It tells you the product was tested, not that it was tested against your specific chemical.

Key standards to reference when writing your PPE specifications:

• EN 374-1/2/3 — covers chemical-resistant gloves: the terminology, how they stop penetration, and how long before substances permeate through
• EN 14605 — sets the bar for suits that need to block liquid jets (Type 3) or resist spray (Type 4)
• EN ISO 13982-1 — for suits that need to keep out dry particles and powders (Type 5)
• EN 166 — personal eye protection
• EN 140 / EN 136 — the standards your half-face and full-face respirators should meet

Get the permeation test results from the manufacturer — for your specific chemicals, not just the material in general. It tells you the actual time before breakthrough, and that number is what your shift length needs to be measured against.

Step 6: Build a System, Not Just a Kit

Individual PPE items do not protect workers. PPE systems do. A glove cuff that leaves a gap at the sleeve, goggles that fog under a respirator, or a suit that tears when someone kneels — these are system failures, not product failures. Test your full combination before it goes into routine use.

Replacement triggers matter just as much as the initial selection. Define them before use begins:

• Gloves — if the chemical has a short breakthrough time, swap them at the end of every shift. For everything else, change them the moment you notice any stiffness, staining, or tackiness.
• Suits — go single-use when contamination risk is real. If you are using reusable suits, write down how many times they have been used and what the decontamination process looks like.
• Respirator cartridges — use change-out schedules based on concentration and cartridge service life — not just on smell or taste.

PPE protects only when it fits correctly. Always conduct fit testing for respirators and confirm ergonomic suitability for gloves and suits during actual working conditions — not just standing still.

Brands Available Through Haeberle

Haeberle Labortechnik carries a wide selection of occupational safety products — from respiratory and eye protection to hand care, protective clothing, and safety signage. We stock trusted brands so you can get the right certified PPE without going to multiple suppliers.

• Ansell — chemical-resistant gloves and protective apparel for lab and industrial work
• UVEX — eye protection, breathing equipment, and protective workwear
• MAPA — chemical-resistant gloves for laboratory and industrial use
• 3M — respiratory protection, eye protection, and hearing protection
• Kimberly-Clark — disposable protective clothing and cleanroom apparel
• Semperit — examination and chemical-resistant gloves
• LLG (Lab Logistics Group) — broad laboratory PPE range including gloves, goggles, and safety equipment
• AS One — laboratory safety and handling equipment
• Touch Tuff — nitrile gloves for chemical and laboratory handling
• Unigloves — single-use gloves built for lab and technical handling tasks

Questions about the right PPE for your setup? Our team knows the product range and is happy to talk it through. Head to haeberle-lab.de or get in touch directly.

Related Resources From Haeberle Labortechnik

If you found this guide useful, the following articles from the Haeberle blog expand on closely related topics:

• Why PPE Should Be Replaced Regularly — understanding degradation timelines and replacement triggers in practice
• Handling Spills in the Laboratory — immediate response procedures and the PPE required during cleanup (often higher-risk than routine handling)
• Safety in a Research Laboratory — a broader overview of laboratory safety culture and risk management
• Disposable Gloves: Types, Applications and Benefits — a focused guide to glove selection for laboratory environments

Haeberle Labortechnik supplies a comprehensive range of occupational health and safety products including respiratory protection, eye protection, hand and skin protection, protective clothing, and safety signs. Our product range covers solutions from leading manufacturers, giving you access to certified, high-performance PPE from a single, trusted source.