According to European Commission, Regulation (EU) 2016/425 covers the design, manufacture and marketing of PPE. It defines legal obligations to ensure PPE on the EU internal market provides the highest level of protection against risks. The CE mark affixed to PPE will provide evidence of compliance which product applicable to EU legislation. It indicates risk categories of which PPE is intended to protect users, such as protective clothing complies with Category III is appropriate to prevent death or irreversible health damages.
In order to facilitate selection of appropriate protective clothing, the European Union has listed different standards of protection and its pictogram.
Chemical Protective Clothing - Category III
Other Standards of Protection
For protective clothing to pass standard tests, it must meet or exceed minimum requirements of materials’ physical and chemical properties. Once test results are confirmed, it is qualified to carry standard pictogram and need to be correctly identified or labeled on marketing materials.
Type 1 EN 943-1 Gas-tight suits / Type 2 EN 943-1 Non-gas-tight suits
Performance requirements for ventilated and non-ventilated ‘Gas-tight’ (Type 1) and ‘Non-gas-tight’ (Type 2) chemical protection suits.
TYPE 3 EN 14605 Liquid Jet Suits
Determination of resistance to penetration by a jet of liquid
TYPE 4 EN 14605 Liquid Jet Suits
Determination of resistance to penetration by a jet of liquid
TYPE 5 EN ISO 13982-1 Particulate Tight Suits
Determination of inward leakage of aerosols & solid particles
TYPE 6 EN 13034 Reduced Spray Suits
Determination of resistance to penetration by reduced liquid spray
EN 1073-2 Against Radioactive Contamination
Determination of inward leakage of aerosols & solid particles
EN 1149-5 Antistatic
EN 14126 Against Biological Hazards
DIN 32781 Against Pesticides
EN ISO 14116 Flame Retardant Test
To check whether the fabric/materials burn while contacting heat source. Whether the fabric stops flame spreading if burned
Requirements for limited flame spread Index 1
Other Key Consideration Factors
The standard pictogram means the protective clothing meets certain minimum requirements with controlled environment and variables. However, in the reality, wearers dealing with hazards may face uncertainties in workplace. Therefore, it is essential to take below factors into consideration:
In conclusion, understanding of standard is relatively important to assist selection of appropriate PPE to meet workplace safety requirements. The little yet important pictogram label on ULTITEC indicates an assured level of safety and compliance with European standards. Do remember that no garment can provide absolute protection against all chemical exposures in all conditions, but higher protection level protective clothing is relatively more appropriate in managing uncertainty in the workplace.