Personal Protective Equipment

• European Commission website
• European Safety Federation
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

The PPE Directive 89/686/EEC is one of the New Approach Directives. It is been superseded by the new Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment. The PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 is applicable from 21 April 2018.

List of mandates related to personal protective equipment (PDF files)

• M/031 Personal Protective Equipment
• M/281 (1999) Revision of EN 1384 relating to helmets for equestrian sports
• M/307 (2000) Revision of standard EN 795 “protection against falls from a height-anchor devices – requirements and testing” 
• M/472 (2010) Amendment of EN 353-1:2002 - Personal protective equipment against falls from a height - Part 1: Guided type fall arresters including a rigid anchor line
• M/509 (2012) Protective textiles and personal protective clothing and equipment
• M/553 (2017) Smart garments – protection against heat and flame
• M/571 (2020) Personal protective equipment

The execution of work is coordinated by the CEN-CENELEC Sector Forum on PPE.

For CEN

• CEN/TC 79 - Respiratory protective devices
• CEN/TC 85 - Eye protective equipment
• CEN/TC 122 - Ergonomics
• CEN/TC 137 - Assessment of workplace exposure to chemical and biological agents
• CEN/TC 158 - Head protection
• CEN/TC 159 - Hearing protectors
• CEN/TC 160 - Protection against falls from height including working belts
• CEN/TC 161 - Foot and leg protectors
• CEN/TC 162 - Protective clothing including hand and arm protection and lifejackets
• CEN/TC 231 - Mechanical vibration and shock

For CENELEC

• CLC/SR 124 - Wearable Electronic Devices and Technologies
• CLC/TC 78 - Equipment and tools for live working

Access the References of  "harmonized standards" cited in the European Union's Official Journal (OJEU).

• Strategy of the PPE Sector Forum (PDF) as approved by CEN/BT in August 2016
• PPE checklist (Word) in accordance with PPE Directive 89/686/EEC are marked in red
• PPE checklist (Word) in accordance with the new PPE (EU) Regulation 2016/425 that will apply on 21 April 2018. Changes which were made to the checklist related to PPE Directive 89/686/EEC are marked in red.
• PPE checklist (Word) extended version in accordance with the new PPE (EU) Regulation 2016/425
• Guide for drafting the Information to be supplied by the manufacturers to the users in compliance with Directive 89/686/EEC
• Recommendations for drafting and revising harmonized European PPE standards
• An approach for dealing with hazardous substances in standards for PPE