Personal protective equipment meets European standards
In the European Union (EU), personal protective equipment may meet the safety standards set by the European Committee for Standardization ( CEN ) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC). The purpose of these standards is to ensure the safety and health of workers who use the equipment in their workplaces and to protect the general public from the dangers that may arise from the use of this equipment.
The EU has several directives related to the safety of work equipment
Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
This directive lays down the safety requirements for personal protective equipment, which includes clothing, helmets, goggles and other equipment worn by workers to protect them from hazards in the workplace.
Personal protective equipment is designed to protect against many hazards. The PPE Directive states that personal protective equipment is "equipment designed and manufactured to be worn or held by a person for the purpose of protection against one or more hazards to his health or safety". It also specifies that personal protective equipment includes "replaceable components of the equipment essential to its protective function" and "attachment systems for equipment not worn or held by a person that are intended to connect that equipment to an external device or reliably an external attachment point that is not intended for permanent attachment and does not need to be attached before use".
The PPE Directive also defines categories of hazards against which personal protective equipment should protect users:
- eye protection against: mechanical impacts, liquid splashes and particles
- hearing protection against: mechanical shocks and noise
- respiratory protection against gases, vapours, mists, dust and fibres
- thermal insulation against heat and cold
Machinery Directive:
This directive sets safety requirements for machinery and equipment used in the EU. It covers a wide range of equipment, including industrial, agricultural and consumer machinery, as well as equipment used in the construction industry.
The Machinery Directive is a European Union directive that sets safety requirements for machinery and equipment used in the European Union. It covers a wide range of equipment including industrial, agricultural, consumer and construction machinery.
The directive is based on the principle that users of machinery must be protected from the risks arising from their use. To achieve this goal, it requires that all machinery be designed and constructed in such a way that it is safe to use without risk of injury to persons or damage to property.
The directive also requires manufacturers to prepare instructions for the safe use and maintenance of their products, which must be drawn up in the official language of the Member State in which the product is sold or marketed. These instructions must include information about all the risks involved in the use of the product and how these risks can be reduced or avoided altogether.
Low Voltage Directive (LVD):
This directive applies to electrical equipment operating at voltages between 50 and 1000 V for alternating current and between 75 and 1500 V for direct current.
The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) (2014/35/EU) provides a high level of protection for European citizens within specified voltage limits and applies to European and many global markets.
The directive covers health and safety hazards in electrical equipment, including input or output voltage.
The LVD Directive is divided into two main parts:
- Part 1 covers household appliances and cables.
- Part 2 covers components such as fuses.
The voltage level is classified as 50 and 1000 V for alternating current and 75 and 1500 V for direct current. LVD is used for a wide range of electrical applications for both consumer and professional use.
ATEX Directive:
This directive applies to equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
There is no time for complacency when it comes to keeping people safe in the workplace. Therefore, the ATEX Directive establishes uniform rules applicable throughout the European Union (EU) on the sale and commissioning of equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Its purpose is to ensure that the products comply with certain requirements, thereby ensuring a high level of protection of the health and safety of persons, especially workers, and, if necessary, the protection of domestic animals and property.
It covers a wide range of products, including equipment used on fixed offshore oil and gas platforms, petrochemical plants, mines and other areas where potentially explosive atmospheres may be present.
These directives are mandatory for all EU member states, and manufacturers must ensure that their products meet the requirements of these directives before they can be placed on the EU market.
There are other standards and regulations that apply to specific types of equipment or industries, such as the Pressure Equipment Directive, the Lifts Directive and the Explosive Atmospheres Directive.
All equipment must be regularly maintained and stored, instructions for safe use must be provided, and it must be replaced with new products when worn out. EU member states have their own regulatory authorities responsible for enforcing these safety standards and ensuring compliance by employers and manufacturers.
View the wide range of Pharsol Protect work equipment that meets all standards and certificates.
