Electrical Glove Classes — ASTM D120 (2026 Guide)

What are the electrical glove classes?

Short answer: Electrical glove classes are the six voltage ratings — Class 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 — that rubber insulating gloves are manufactured and tested to under ASTM D120, with the matching use rules enforced by OSHA's electrical protective equipment standard, 29 CFR 1910.137. Class 00 gloves are rated for a maximum use voltage of 500 volts AC; Class 4 tops the scale at 36,000 volts AC. Every class must be electrically retested every 6 months, air-tested and inspected before each day's use, and — with a narrow low-voltage exception — worn under leather protector gloves.

The class number answers exactly one question: what is the highest circuit voltage this glove may be used on? This guide decodes all six electrical glove classes for electricians, maintenance techs, and the safety managers who buy for them — the voltage table, the color-coded labels, the OSHA testing clock, the leather-protector rule, and the daily field checks, all drawn from the 1910.137 standard text. Low-voltage Class 00 and 0 gloves — the classes that cover most commercial and light-industrial electrical work — are the ones stocked in our insulated electrical gloves collection.

Why this matters.
A rubber insulating glove is the last barrier between a hand and an energized conductor, and OSHA treats it accordingly: under 1910.137(c)(2)(iii)(A), a single "hole, tear, puncture, or cut" removes a glove from service, and 1910.137(c)(2)(viii) voids every glove that has not been electrically retested within 6 months. A Class 2 glove with an expired test date offers exactly as much legal protection as no glove at all — and the class marking on the cuff is the difference between a 500-volt tool and a 36,000-volt tool that look nearly identical.

The six classes: maximum use voltages under 1910.137

OSHA's table of maximum use voltages — the AC values below are what the class marking legally certifies, and ASTM D120 is the manufacturing specification gloves are built and proof-tested against:

Two reading rules. First, the max use voltage is a ceiling on the circuit, not a performance grade — a Class 0 glove on a 480 V system is correctly specified, not under-specified. Second, the classes are proof-tested far above their use ratings during manufacture (that is ASTM D120's job), which is why the use ceiling can be trusted with margin — but only while the glove passes its in-service tests below.

The OSHA testing clock: 6 months, 12 months, and every morning

1910.137 puts every piece of rubber insulating equipment on a retest schedule, and gloves carry the shortest one:

The daily air test is the field half of the system: roll or inflate the glove, watch and listen for escaping air, and inspect the rubber — any "hole, tear, puncture, or cut" condemns it under 1910.137(c)(2)(iii)(A), as do embedded objects, chemical swelling, and similar defects. The 6-month electrical retest is a lab job (or a glove-exchange program), which is why the test date stamped on the cuff matters as much as the class color.

Leather protectors: the rule that surprises new buyers

Rubber insulating gloves are not wear-alone gloves. Under 1910.137(c)(2)(vii), "protector gloves shall be worn over insulating gloves" — the leather outer takes the mechanical abuse so the dielectric rubber underneath never sees a cut or puncture. The exception is deliberately narrow: Class 00 gloves (and Class 0 in limited conditions) may be used without protectors below 250 volts AC where "small equipment and parts manipulation necessitate unusually high finger dexterity" — and even then, any mechanically damaged glove is done. Budget for the pair: rubber class glove plus correctly sized leather protector is the unit of purchase, and general-duty leathers from our work gloves lineup are not a substitute for fitted protectors.

The "insulated" trap and the neighboring standards

Catalog language collides here, and the collisions are hazards. Thermally insulated winter gloves — our winter work gloves — protect against cold and carry no voltage rating; our cold-stress reference covers that side of the word. Cut-rated gloves follow ANSI/ISEA 105 — decoded in how to read ANSI cut level and compared with Europe's scheme in EN 388 vs ANSI/ISEA 105 — and cut resistance says nothing about dielectric strength. Arc flash is its own discipline under NFPA 70E — see what is NFPA 70E — where voltage-rated gloves are one component of a larger PPE category system. And on your feet, the electrical story is ASTM F2413 EH-rated footwear: the lineup lives in electrical hazard boots with picks in best electrical hazard work boots. None of these ratings substitutes for another; an electrical work outfit stacks them.

Worked example: speccing gloves for a 480-volt maintenance team

A plant maintenance team works commercial 480 V three-phase gear. As an Amazon Associate, WC Safety earns from qualifying purchases made through the Amazon button below.

1. Match the class to the highest circuit voltage. 480 V sits under the 1,000 V ceiling — Class 0 (red label) is the correct specification; Class 00's 500 V ceiling is too tight for a 480 V system's margin practices.
2. Buy the pair, sized to the wearer. Rubber Class 0 glove plus leather protector, sized so the protector does not fold the rubber cuff. An entry-level 1,000 V-rated option we track is the DongChu insulated electrician gloves. Check DongChu 1000V on Amazon
3. Log the test dates. Record each glove's initial test date on receipt; calendar the 6-month electrical retest per 1910.137(c)(2)(viii) and treat an expired date as an out-of-service tag.
4. Train the morning ritual. Air test and visual inspection before each day's use — roll the cuff, feel for escaping air, look for cuts, punctures, swelling, and embedded objects. One defect, one condemned glove.
5. Store them like instruments. Cuffs up, undistorted, away from sunlight, ozone sources, and sharp tools — folded or crushed storage is how rubber develops the creases that fail air tests.
6. Complete the outfit. EH-rated footwear from the electrical hazard boots collection and, where energized work crosses NFPA 70E thresholds, the arc-flash PPE that standard's category tables call for.

Frequently asked questions

What are the electrical glove classes?

Six voltage classes — 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 — manufactured to ASTM D120 and used under OSHA 1910.137, with maximum use voltages from 500 V AC (Class 00) to 36,000 V AC (Class 4). The full table with citations is on OSHA's 1910.137 page.

What voltage is a Class 0 glove rated for?

A maximum use voltage of 1,000 volts AC — which is why Class 0 (red label) is the default for commercial and industrial systems running at 480 V. Class 0 and Class 00 options are what our insulated electrical gloves collection stocks.

What voltage is a Class 00 glove rated for?

500 volts AC maximum use — the beige-label class for low-voltage controls, automotive and EV work, and sub-500-volt panels, per the 1910.137 voltage table.

How often must electrical gloves be tested?

Electrically, before first issue and every 6 months thereafter, per 1910.137(c)(2)(viii) — plus an air test and visual inspection before use each day under (c)(2)(ii). Blankets and sleeves run on a 12-month electrical cycle.

What is the daily air test?

Rolling or inflating the glove to pressurize it, then watching and feeling for escaping air while visually inspecting the rubber, before each day's use per 1910.137(c)(2)(ii). Any hole, tear, puncture, or cut condemns the glove on the spot.

Do I have to wear leather gloves over rubber insulating gloves?

Yes — protector gloves over insulating gloves is the 1910.137(c)(2)(vii) rule, with a narrow exception for Class 00 below 250 V AC where fine-finger dexterity is genuinely required. The leather takes the mechanical damage; the rubber keeps the dielectric job, per the protector-glove provision.

What does ASTM D120 cover?

ASTM D120 is the manufacturing and proof-test specification for rubber insulating gloves — the standard the class system is built to. OSHA's 1910.137 then governs how classed gloves are used, inspected, and retested in service.

What do the glove label colors mean?

The color band identifies the class at a glance: beige for Class 00, red for Class 0, white for Class 1, yellow for Class 2, green for Class 3, and orange for Class 4. Color is a convenience — the marked class and the current test date are what determine legal use, per the standard's marking requirements.

Can I use a higher-class glove on a lower-voltage circuit?

Electrically yes — the class is a ceiling, not a match requirement — but higher classes are thicker and cost dexterity, which is why crews spec the lowest class that covers the highest circuit voltage they touch, per the voltage table on OSHA's page.

Are winter insulated gloves electrical gloves?

No. Thermal insulation and dielectric insulation are unrelated properties — our winter work gloves carry no voltage rating, and rubber voltage gloves are not cold-weather gear. The word "insulated" on a listing always needs the follow-up question: against what?

Do cut-resistant gloves protect against electricity?

No — ANSI/ISEA 105 cut levels measure blade resistance, not dielectric strength; the schemes are decoded in how to read ANSI cut level. On an electrical task the cut protection belongs in the leather protector over the rubber glove, not in place of it.

Where does arc flash PPE fit in?

Arc flash is governed by NFPA 70E's category system, which layers arc-rated clothing, face protection, and voltage-rated gloves for energized work — the framework is explained in what is NFPA 70E. Glove class answers shock; arc rating answers thermal energy. Energized work needs both answers.

Do electrical gloves expire if unused?

The test date controls. A glove electrically tested but held in storage still needs a current test before issue — the 6-month clock in 1910.137(c)(2)(viii) runs from testing, and rubber degrades with time, ozone, and sunlight regardless of use. Storage condition is part of the program, not an exemption from it.

What footwear pairs with voltage-rated gloves?

EH-rated footwear under ASTM F2413, which adds a secondary shock barrier underfoot — compared across 23 models in our electrical hazard boots collection, with picks in best electrical hazard work boots.

What condemns an electrical glove immediately?

A hole, tear, puncture, or cut; embedded foreign objects; texture changes like swelling, softening, or hardening — the defect list in 1910.137(c)(2)(iii). The daily air test exists to catch exactly these before the glove touches energized work.

Further reading on this site

• Insulated electrical gloves — the Class 00 and Class 0 low-voltage lineup this guide's table starts with.
• What is NFPA 70E? — the arc-flash framework that voltage-rated gloves slot into for energized work.
• Electrical hazard boots — the EH-rated footwear layer, 23 models compared.
• Best electrical hazard work boots — current picks for the underfoot shock barrier.
• How to read ANSI cut level — the cut-rating scheme that governs the leather protector side of the pair.
• EN 388 vs ANSI/ISEA 105 — how the US and EU cut schemes translate.
• Hand protection — the full glove catalog across every rating family.