First UK companies achieve new PPE Regulation certification from BSI
04 July 2017
From 21 April 2018, the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive 89/686EEC will be replaced by the new PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 meaning that manufacturers, importers and distributors will need to ensure any Personal Protective Equipment they produce or sell in the EU meets this mandatory new regulation.
3M, Centurion, JSP and Scott Health are the first UK companies to be independently assessed by BSI (British Standards Institution) and achieve certification to the new PPE Regulation Module B (Intermediate and Complex PPE categories) ahead of the April 2018 deadline. Although products previously certified to the existing Directive can be sold until April 2019, manufacturers will need to ensure their products are re-certified to the updated Regulation so that they can continue to supply to the market after this date.
BSI was the first UK organization to become appointed as a Notified Body to the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 which means that it can now issue post-dated PPE Regulation Module B certificates to help manufactures prepare for this change.
Alan McArthur, UK technical supervisor for 3M's Personal Safety Division commented: “We’re delighted to be one of the first companies to achieve this certification. 3M is committed to improving lives and doing business in the right way therefore it’s vital that our products meet the new PPE regulation requirements.”
Mandy Humphreys, Technical Director at Centurion Safety Product Ltd commented: “Centurion has been a global expert in total head safety at work for over a century; as such we are very excited to be part of the pioneering group being certified to the new PPE Regulation. Our reassuring expertise in head protection is entirely compatible with our proactive move to the Regulation giving our wearers the confidence to focus on their day job, whilst keeping their most important asset safe.”
Matthew Judson, Technical Director at JSP commented: “As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of personal protective equipment, it’s really important that our customers can be confident that their PPE will give them the protection they expect and need. This certification will help us to demonstrate that our products meet the new regulation and are of the highest possible quality.”
Mark Saxon, Regulatory Affairs Manager at Scott Health and Safety Ltd commented: “Scott products protect thousands of individuals each day, therefore ensuring that our products are tested and meet the new PPE Regulation ahead of the deadline is vital. We’re really pleased to be one of the first UK companies to achieve PPE Regulation Module B which demonstrates our commitment to the safety of our products.”
Bob Wells, Global Head of Personal Safety at BSI said: “Previously, the PPE Directive focused on manufacturers placing products onto the market, but the new Regulation requires the whole supply chain to be involved. This is the biggest regulatory change in PPE for twenty years, therefore it’s really important that organizations engage with a Notified Body to the new Regulation as soon as possible, to begin the transition to meet the new requirements.
“3M, Centurion, JSP and Scott Health should be delighted that they have achieved certification to the new PPE regulation well ahead of the deadline, which demonstrates their commitment to product safety. BSI is ready with a fully resourced team of experts to help make the transition to the new Regulation as smooth as possible for other organizations.”
Some of the other key changes between the Directive and Regulation include:
• Specific scope and exclusions
• Now has provisions for distributers and importers
• Changes to module names (OLD Article 10, 11A and 11B – NEW Modules B, C2 and D)
• Changes to product categorisation; life jackets and hearing protection to Category 3
• Bespoke PPE covered by the Regulation
• Declaration of Conformity (or web link) needs to be available with each product
• 5 year validity for EU Type Examination certificates
For more information, please visit: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-IN/
- ENDS -
