Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is defined as ‘any device to be worn or held by an individual for protection against one or more health and safety hazards’.
The regulations also apply to any system placed on the market in conjunction with PPE for its connection to another external, additional device.
Manufacturers must ensure that their products conform to either the relevant harmonised European standard, as transposed into a national (BS) or international (BS ISO) standard, or a technical specification deemed to be appropriate by a Notified Body to meet the Basic Health and Safety requirements of the Directive.
Who is the Directive for?
This Directive is for manufacturers of Personal Protective Equipment who are wishing to sell their products in the European Union. Once a manufacturer meets the requirements of the Directive they will be able to apply CE marking to their products.
The PPE Directive is intended to require all manufacturers of personal protective equipment to meet common standards of quality and performance. It lays down a series of basic health and safety requirements which can be complied with directly for simple equipment and which form the basis of a series of standards for the design and performance of more complex equipment.
What products do we test?
BSI is actively involved in the below areas of CE marking, Type Examination, Articles 10 & 11A and 11B, (test, certification and quality assurance) of PPE:
- Hearing Protection
- Respiratory Protection
- Eye Protection
- Head Protection
- Protective Footwear
- Protective Gloves
- Protective Clothing
- High Visibility Garments
Benefits of meeting the Directive
By meeting the requirements of the Directive you will be able to sell your products into Europe. This is one of the ways that BSI can help you to access global markets, be compliant and to grow your business internationally.
The responsibility for ensuring that the Directive is adhered to falls upon the manufacturer. The directive is enforced in the UK by the local authority Trading Standards Service. Failure to comply can lead to up to 3 months in prison and/or a fine of up to £5000. Furthermore, manufacturers can be required to recall and replace any equipment found to be faulty.
Looking to understand the Directive, regulation, legislation in this area? We can provide technical advice, information, testing and help you to achieve a CE Mark for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment Directive) 89/686/EEC.
