What does AQL 1.5 mean for disposable gloves?
A plain-English guide to AQL-indexed sampling, freedom-from-holes testing and the evidence buyers should request when a glove lists AQL 1.5.
Published by NewGlove
AQL 1.5 is often presented as if it means “1.5% of the gloves may have holes”. That shortcut is misleading. AQL is an index used within a statistical acceptance-sampling system: a defined sample is drawn from a production lot and the lot is accepted or rejected using the applicable plan.
For single-use medical gloves, buyers commonly encounter AQL 1.5 in connection with freedom from holes under EN 455-1. This article explains how to question the claim without inventing certainty the sampling process does not provide. It is a procurement overview, not statistical, regulatory or clinical advice.
What AQL is - and is not
ISO 2859-1 describes AQL-indexed sampling schemes for lot-by-lot inspection. In practical terms, the AQL value works with other inputs to select a sample size and acceptance or rejection threshold. The 2026 edition is the current ISO edition and replaced the 1999 edition and its amendments.
AQL does not mean every glove is tested. It does not state the actual defect rate in a delivered carton, and it does not guarantee that a statistically accepted lot contains no nonconforming gloves. Acceptance sampling manages producer and consumer risk; it is not the same as one-hundred-percent inspection.
Why the number 1.5 is incomplete on its own
You cannot reconstruct an inspection decision from “AQL 1.5” alone. The plan also depends on what is being inspected and how the inspection was configured. Ask the supplier to show the inputs and result together.
- The defined production lot and lot size.
- The characteristic being assessed - for example, freedom from holes rather than every possible defect.
- The standard and edition, inspection level and sampling scheme used.
- Whether inspection was normal, tightened or reduced, where applicable.
- The sample size, number of nonconforming units and acceptance or rejection threshold.
- The test date, product references, sizes and people or laboratory responsible for the record.
How AQL 1.5 connects to EN 455-1
EN 455-1 addresses requirements and testing for freedom from holes in single-use medical gloves. The current Great Britain designated-standards notice, published on 17 January 2026, lists EN 455-1:2020+A2:2024. It also lists the current designated references for EN 455 Parts 2, 3 and 4.
That current list matters because a data sheet that says only “EN 455” does not show which part or edition supports the claim. Ask for the report or evidence scope, then match its product name, references and sizes to the glove being offered. A result for one formulation or product cannot be assumed to cover another.
Freedom from holes is only one part of medical-glove qualification. Physical properties, biological evaluation, shelf-life evidence, labelling, intended use and any separate PPE requirements still need their own review.
A simple way to read an inspection record
Read from the lot outwards. First identify the production lot. Next confirm the applicable sampling plan and the sample drawn. Then compare the observed count for the defined nonconformity with the acceptance and rejection numbers. Finally, verify the disposition of the lot and any follow-up action.
Do not copy an acceptance number from an online AQL table without matching every plan input. Different lot sizes, inspection levels, sampling schemes or inspection states can lead to different sample sizes and thresholds even when the AQL value is unchanged.
- Lot identity → sampling-plan inputs → sample identity.
- Test method → observed nonconforming units → acceptance/rejection rule.
- Lot decision → release authority → traceability to delivered cartons.
Questions to ask when a specification says AQL 1.5
A short evidence request usually reveals whether the number is part of a controlled quality system or simply repeated marketing copy.
- Does AQL 1.5 refer specifically to freedom from holes, and under which EN 455-1 edition?
- Which sampling standard, scheme and inspection level were applied?
- What exact glove references, colours, sizes and production lots does the record cover?
- Can the supplier show the sample result, lot disposition and release approval?
- How do the carton and inner-box lot codes connect to that record?
- What triggers tightened inspection, investigation, corrective action or rejection?
- How are changes to formulation, tooling, process or test method assessed and documented?
How to interpret NewGlove’s NewEvo+300 claim
The current NewEvo+300 data sheet identifies the product as a nitrile, powder-free examination glove and lists EN 455 Parts 1-4 plus “Freedom from Holes - AQL 1.5”. It also names the product references NE3S-XBC, NE3S-XBS and NE3S-XW.
That data-sheet statement is the start of a buyer review, not the whole file. Ask for the current supporting documents for the precise colour, size and destination market being assessed, and confirm that delivered lot codes can be traced to the relevant quality records.
The approval decision should be wider than AQL
A defensible specification connects the glove’s intended use, applicable legislation, EN 455 evidence, any PPE or chemical evidence, shelf life, storage and traceability. AQL 1.5 can be an important lot-acceptance parameter for freedom from holes, but it does not answer all of those questions.
If a supplier cannot identify what was sampled, how the acceptance rule was selected or which delivered product the result covers, pause approval. The goal is not to collect more logos; it is to establish a coherent chain from requirement to report to released lot.