The Price Of Rubber Gloves Is On The Rise

New European Union regulations could see the price of rubber gloves increase by 20% because of a health and safety move to try and prevent workplace injuries.

A vote will be held in Brussels next week on proposals demanding that all washing-up gloves sold across the EU are tested to prove they can withstand “basic detergents”, while oven gloves will also go through rigorous tests to ensure that they can handle heat of up to 200°C.

The idea is that in the future, household products will meet the same standards as those used in professional kitchens. But it is believed that the new regulations could force a price increase of these products by as much as 20%.

The move has sparked outrage from some politicians, with Matthew Hancock, the Conservative Business Minister, describing the proposals as “completely bonkers” and “over-zealous”.

However, a spokesman for the European Commission said: “Of course every jurisdiction anywhere in the developed world has product safety and quality standards covering pretty much all products to avoid people being injured.

“Sub-standard oven gloves could, for example, obviously lead to severe burns – and people conned out of money for products that don’t work.”

They added that any changes to EU rules are “always subject to extensive consultation with industry and impact assessment.”