The Commission of the European Union (EU) has released an updated list of standards that can be used to demonstrate conformity with the essential requirements of its Regulation (EU) 2016/425 concerning personal protective equipment (or PPE).
The PPE Regulation, which took effect in April, replaced the EU’s previous PPE Directive (89/686/EEC). The Regulation is aligned with the EU’s new Legislative Framework policy and includes slight modifications to the scope and risk categorization of products.
Under the Regulation, personal protective equipment is defined as “equipment designed and manufactured to be worn or held by a person for protection against one or more risks to that person’s health and safety hazards.” Specifically excluded from the scope of the Regulation is equipment designed specifically for use by armed forces or law enforcement personnel, equipment to be used for self-defense (except for that intended for sporting activities) and equipment intended for the protection or rescue of individuals on vessels or aircraft.
The extensive list of CEN and Cenelec standards was published in early August in the Official Journal of the European Union, and replaces all previously published standards lists for the Regulation.
