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Personal protective equipment Regulation

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  Directive

Personal protective equipment Regulation ((EU) 2016/425)

  Scope

This Regulation applies to PPE.

EXCLUSIONS

This Regulation does not apply to PPE:

  • Specifically designed for use by the armed forces or in the maintenance of law and order;
  • Designed to be used for self-defence, with the exception of PPE intended for sporting activities;
  • Designed for private use to protect against:
    • Atmospheric conditions that are not of an extreme nature,
    • Damp and water during dishwashing;
  • For exclusive use on seagoing vessels or aircraft that are subject to the relevant international treaties applicable in Member States;
  • For head, face or eye protection of users, that is covered by Regulation No 22 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of protective helmets and their visors for drivers and passengers of motorcycles and mopeds.

DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

  • ‘Personal protective equipment’ (PPE) means:
    • Equipment designed and manufactured to be worn or held by a person for protection against one or more risks to that person's health or safety;
    • Interchangeable components for equipment referred to in point (a) which are essential for its protective function;
    • Connexion systems for equipment referred to in point (a) that are not held or worn by a person, that are designed to connect that equipment to an external device or to a reliable anchorage point, that are not designed to be permanently fixed and that do not require fastening works before use;

  Description

Personal protective equipment (PPE) are products that the user can wear or hold, in order to be protected against hazards either at home, at work or whilst engaging in leisure activities. Statistics on fatal and major work accidents underline the importance of protection and prevention, for which personal protective equipment plays an important role.

The European Union has issued a number of legislative acts to improve health and safety at work and to ensure high quality PPE.

The PPE Directive 89/686/EEC covers the design, manufacture and marketing of personal protective equipment. It defines legal obligations to ensure that PPE on the EU market provides the highest level of protection against hazards. The CE marking affixed to PPE provides evidence of this protection.

As this is a 'New Approach' Directive, manufacturers or their authorised representative in the EU can comply with the technical requirements directly or with harmonised European standards. The latter provides a presumption of conformity to the essential health and safety requirements.

The PPE Guidelines - Version 24 August 2017 (2 MB) aim to facilitate a common interpretation and application of the PPE Directive. It should be noted however that only the national transposition of the Directive is legally binding.

  Harmonised standards

EN 136:1998 Respiratory protective devices - Full face masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 136:1998/AC:2003 Respiratory protective devices - Full face masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 137:2006 Respiratory protective devices - Self-contained open-circuit compressed air breathing apparatus with full face mask - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 140:1998 Respiratory protective devices - Half masks and quarter masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 140:1998/AC:1999 Respiratory protective devices - Half masks and quarter masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 142:2002 Respiratory protective devices - Mouthpiece assemblies - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 143:2000 Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 143:2000/A1:2006 Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 143:2000/AC:2005 Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 144-1:2000 Respiratory protective devices - Gas cylinder valves - Part 1: Thread connections for insert connector
Show all the standards...
EN 136:1998
Respiratory protective devices - Full face masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 136:1998/AC:2003
Respiratory protective devices - Full face masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 137:2006
Respiratory protective devices - Self-contained open-circuit compressed air breathing apparatus with...
EN 140:1998
Respiratory protective devices - Half masks and quarter masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 140:1998/AC:1999
Respiratory protective devices - Half masks and quarter masks - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 142:2002
Respiratory protective devices - Mouthpiece assemblies - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 143:2000
Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 143:2000/A1:2006
Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 143:2000/AC:2005
Respiratory protective devices - Particle filters - Requirements, testing, marking
EN 144-1:2000
Respiratory protective devices - Gas cylinder valves - Part 1: Thread connections for insert connect...
Show all the standards...

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