CEN-CENELEC Coordination Group on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
CEN and CENELEC develop standards to ensure compliance with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements outlined in the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (EU) 2016/425.
A significant milestone was reached with the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2016/425, which replaced the PPE Directive 89/686/EEC. This regulation, effective from 21 April 2018, establishes updated requirements for the design, manufacture, and marketing of personal protective equipment.
PPE is used across various sectors, including occupational health and safety, sports, and recreational activities. The core principles in PPE design focus on ergonomics, safety, and comfort.
About the CEN-CENELEC Coordination Group on PPE (CEN-CLC/COG PPE)
The CEN-CENELEC Coordination Group on Personal Protective Equipment (CEN-CLC/COG PPE) facilitates collaboration among technical bodies working on PPE standardization. Its mission is to enhance coordination, ensure information exchange, and support the development of high-quality PPE standards.
Key Responsibilities of the Coordination Group
The CEN-CLC/COG PPE is responsible for:
- Coordinating the standardization work programme related to the Standardization Request (SReq) M/571 for PPE and providing progress updates to the European Commission (EC) and EFTA Secretariat.
- Exchanging information with the EC and EFTA on PPE standardization matters.
- Developing a long-term coordination framework that enables technical committees to:
- Align PPE standardization activities across technical bodies.
- Facilitate information exchange and collaboration with international and regional standardization bodies.
- Resolve horizontal issues to streamline discussions within technical groups.
- Monitor emerging trends and risks such as digitalization, smart PPE, climate change, and sustainability goals to identify gaps in PPE standardization and propose new standardization activities.
- Providing recommendations and progress reports to the Technical Boards.
By fostering collaboration and proactively addressing industry challenges, the CEN-CLC/COG PPE plays a vital role in ensuring that PPE standards continue to meet evolving safety and regulatory needs.
