Personal Protective Equipment Bimonthly Bulletin | January & February

Eurofins newsflash Softlines and Leather

EUROPE

Changes to product safety standards

On 9 December 2022, the European Commission published Decision 2022/2414 which amends the Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/668 in relation to harmonised standards on requirements, testing and marking of particle filters for respiratory protective devices, general requirements for protective clothing, requirements for eye protectors for squash and eye protectors for racquetball and squash 57, and requirements and test methods for footwear protecting against risks in foundries and during welding and associated processes.

Below is a table summarising the rows which have been added to the Annexes to Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/668:

Added standards in Annex I
Row	Reference	Title
39.	EN 143:2021	Respiratory protective devices – Particle filters – Requirements, testing, marking
40.	EN ISO 13688:2013	Protective clothing – General requirements (ISO 13688:2013) EN ISO 13688:2013/A1:2021
41.	EN ISO 18527-2:2021	Eye and face protection for sports use – Part 2: Requirements for eye protectors for squash and eye protectors for racquetball and squash 57 (ISO 18527-2:2021)
42.	EN ISO 20349-1:2017	Personal protective equipment – Footwear protecting against risks in foundries and welding – Part 1: Requirements and test methods for protection against risks in foundries (ISO 20349-1:2017) EN ISO 20349-1:2017/A1:2020
43.	EN ISO 20349-2:2017	Personal protective equipment – Footwear protecting against risks in foundries and welding – Part 2: Requirements and test methods for protection against risks in welding and allied processes (ISO 20349-2:2017) EN ISO 20349-2:2017/A1:2020
Added standards in Annex II
Row	Reference	Title	Date of withdrawal
30.	EN 143:2000	Respiratory protective devices – Particle filters – Requirements, testing, marking EN 143:2000/AC:2005 EN 143:2000/A1:2006	9 June 2024
31.	EN ISO 13688:2013	Protective clothing – General requirements (ISO 13688:2013)	9 June 2024

This table summarises the rows which have been replaced in the Annex II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/668:

Added standards in Annex II
Row	Reference	Title	Date of withdrawal
22.	EN 352-1:2002	Hearing protectors – General requirements – Part 1: Ear-Muffs	21 July 2024
23.	EN 352-2:2002	Hearing protectors – General requirements – Part 2: Ear-plugs	21 July 2024
24.	EN 352-3:2002	Hearing protectors – General requirements – Part 3: Ear-muffs attached to an industrial safety helmet	21 July 2024
25.	EN 352-4:2001	Hearing protectors – Safety requirements and testing – Part 4: Level-dependent ear-muffs EN 352-4:2001/A1:2005	21 July 2024
26.	EN 352-5:2002	Hearing protectors – Safety requirements and testing – Part 5: Active noise reduction ear-muffs EN 352-5:2002/A1:2005	21 July 2024
27.	EN 352-6:2002	Hearing protectors – Safety requirements and testing – Part 6: Ear-muffs with electrical audio input	21 July 2024
28.	EN 352-7:2002	Hearing protectors – Safety requirements and testing – Part 7: Level-dependent ear-plugs	21 July 2024
29.	EN 352-8:2008	Hearing protectors – Safety requirements and testing – Part 8: Entertainment audio ear-muffs	21 July 2024

PRODUCT RECALLS / ALERTS

Below you will find a monthly summary of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source Safety Gate (RAPEX)).

Europe

RAPEX (European Commission Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products – Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

The following 14 alerts regarding Personal Protective Equipment were reported between week 52 of 2022 and week 08 of 2023.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Health risk / other	8	Particle filter mask The total filtration capacity of the mask is insufficient. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation nor with the European standard EN 149.
Injuries	2	Reflector The product does not reflect light sufficiently. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation nor with EN 13356.
Injuries	3	Safety footwear The product is not sufficiently resistant to pressure in the toe area. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation, nor with the European standard EN 20345.
Suffocation	1	Particle filter mask The physical resistance of the filtering material is too high and prevents a user to breathe properly. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation nor with EN 149.

OPSS issues Product Safety Alerts to the UK market.

The following 6 alerts regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were issued between week 52 of 2022 and week 08 of 2023.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Drowning	2	Life jacket The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that it had been adequately assessed for conformity. The product does not meet the requirements of the PPE Regulation 2016/425.
Drowning	1	Scuba diving regulator The product contains a manufacturing defect which means the affected regulators may not supply the user with a breathable gaseous mixture and therefore do not meet the relevant essential health and safety requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment.
Injuries	1	Climbing rope The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that it had been adequately assessed for conformity. The product does not meet the requirements of the PPE Regulation 2016/425.
	1	Respirator filter The product does not meet the performance requirements and may have reduced breakthrough times for the gases and vapors against which the filter is certified to protect.
	1	Safety trainer The product failed a Penetration Resistance Test for Whole Footwear with Non-Metallic Anti-Penetration Inserts using the following standard EN ISO 20344:2011. The product does not meet the requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.