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Media Centre >> Knowledge e-news >> Eurofins PPE Monthly Bulletin (December 2024)

Eurofins PPE Monthly Bulletin (December 2024)

EUROPE

The fourth edition of the PPE Regulation Guidelines

On 23 October 2024, the European Commission published the last version of the PPE Regulation Guidelines.

The objective of these PPE Guidelines is to clarify certain matters and procedures referred to in Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment and in this way to ensure correct application of the Regulation.

The fourth edition of the PPE Regulation Guidelines was developed together by the European Commission services and the PPE Expert Group. The updates concern the topics and the sections indicated below:

Section 2.2: Clothing with reflective elements
Section 2.3: Ergonomic equipment

For more information, please refer to the PPE Regulation Guidelines Guide to application of Regulation EU 2016/425 on personal protective equipment on the European Commission website here.

Standard updates

The table below summarises the most recent standard updates and upcoming dates of withdrawal (non-exhaustive):

(*) Date of withdrawal: The latest date by which national standards conflicting with a European Norm (EN) (and Harmonisation Document (HD) for the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC)) have to be withdrawn.

The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN)/CENELEC
Reference	Title	*Date of withdrawal ()**	Supersedes
EN ISO 13997:2024	Protective clothing - Mechanical properties - Determination of resistance to cutting by sharp objects (ISO 13997:2024)	30 April 2025	EN ISO 13997:2023
EN 17966:2024	Fire protection equipment - Carbon dioxide extinguishing systems for use on premises - Design and installation (ISO 6183:2022, modified)	30 April 2025

PRODUCT RECALLS / ALERTS

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

Europe

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

The following 3 alerts regarding protective equipment were reported between week 39 and week 42 of 2024.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Chemical	1	Rain boots The plastic material of the product has an excessive concentration of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
Drowning	1	Buoyancy aid The product's inflatable buoyancy is not equipped with check valves to ensure seal tightness. The stoppers are also not attached to the valves. Therefore, the inflatable buoyancy aids are not sufficiently airtight. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (PPE) or EN 13138-1.
Drowning	1	Life vest The buckle fastener of the life vest can break. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation or EN 12402-5.

OPSS issues Product Safety Alerts to the UK market.

The following 3 alerts regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were issued between week 39 and week 42 of 2024.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Drowning	1	Life jacket/buoyancy aid The buoyancy aid was not accompanied by any minimum or maximum sizing limits. The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to be used correctly by a consumer, potentially resulting in a risk of drowning. The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
Injuries	1	Motorcycle clothing and helmet The product does not meet the requirements of UN Regulation No. 22. The protective clothing products may not comply with the required safety standards for personal protective equipment, and therefore may not perform as required to protect the user. The products do not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
Injuries	1	Climbing equipment The product’s maximum pull-out strength is insufficient, potentially failing to support climbers adequately on ice, thereby increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation 2016/425 and Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.