The PPE Regulation countdown is about to start

On 21st April 2018 the (EU) 2016/425 PPE Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Harmonization of the laws of the Member States regarding Personal protective equipment will become fully applicable. Manufacturers whose products are compliant with the current legislation (PPE Directive 89/686/EEC) may benefit from the one year transition period until 21st April 2019 to comply with the new requirements.

Therefore, Members States shall not impede the making available of products conform with  Directive 89/686/EEC which were placed on the market before 21st of April 2019.  It is important to note that the corresponding certificates remain valid.

What are the main new aspects of the PPE Regulation?

  • The Categories of PPE ( cat I, II, III) are defined in terms of risk(s) related to:
  • Biological risks
  • Bullet wounds and knife stabs
  • Cuts by hand-held chain saws
  • High pressure jet cutting
  • Risk of drowning
  • Harmful noise
  • Products offering protection against drowning, cuts by hand-held chainsaws, high-pressure jets, bullet wounds or knife stabs and harmful noise have been moved from Category II to Category III PPE, e.g. hearing protection and moving life jacket.
  • A broader scope covering:
  1. Interchangeable components which are essential for the protective function of the PPE
  2. Connection systems for PPE that are i) not held or worn by a person; ii) are designed to connect that equipment to an external device or to a reliable anchorage point; iii) are not designed to be permanently fixed and do not require fastening works before use.
  3. Bespoke PPE
  4. PPE for private use against heat, i.e. oven gloves
  • Increased obligations on ‘economic operators’- (being the total supply chain, including manufacturers, importers and distributors
  • EU Declaration of Conformity (or a web link to it) shall accompany each product
  • All products will need to meet the latest versions of the relevant standard

Impact on the Type Examination Certificates validity

  • Current EC Type Examination Certificates remains valid until 21st April 2023 at the latest unless they expire before that date
  • New EU Type Examination Certificates will have a maximum validity of 5 years

If you wish to know more about changes brought about by the New PPE Regulation, please do not hesitate to contact us. Obelis Expert Consultants, having nearly 30 years of experience with EU legislation will gladly answer any question you may have and will gladly assist you in safeguarding your products’ compliance.

Get in touch

Share This

Copy Link to Clipboard

Copy