EUROPE
Harmonised standards update for PPE
On 8 October 2024, the European Commission published the Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2599 amending the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 as regards the harmonised standards in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment (PPE).
Annex I and Annex II in the Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 are amended for the following kind of PPE:
- Personal fall protection equipment
- Powered filtering respiratory protective devices
- Footwear
- Electrically insulating helmets
- Eye face protection for occupational use
For the complete amendment with the list of harmonised standards, please visit the official publication here.
New update to Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs)
On 7 November 2024, the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) released the new Candidate List of SVHCs with the addition of one new substance. The current list of SVHCs now contains 242 substances.
See the table below that indicates the latest substance addition:
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Nº
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Substance name
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EC number
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CAS number
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Reason for inclusion
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Examples of use(s)
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1
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Triphenyl Phosphate
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204-112-2
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115-86-6
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Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) - environment)
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This substance is used as a flame retardant and plasticiser in polymer formulations, adhesives and sealants.
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Legal obligations for companies using SVHC substances include:
- Suppliers provide customers and consumers with enough information to allow for safe use of products that contain a substance of very high concern (SVHC) above a concentration of 0.1 % (weight by weight)
- Importers and producers of these products must notify the ECHA if their article contains SVHC substances above a concentration of 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) and the substance is present in those products in quantities totalling over 1 tonne per producer or per importer per year. The notifications must be submitted within six months from the date that the substance is included in the list.
- Suppliers of substances on the Candidate List, supplied either on their own or in mixtures, must provide their customers with a safety data sheet.
- Under the Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC on waste- WFD), any supplier of an article containing a substance of very high concern (SVHC) in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) on the EU market is required to submit a SCIP Notification on that article to ECHA, as of 5 January 2021. SCIP is the database holding information on Substances of Concern in articles, as such or in complex objects (products), established under the WFD. The SCIP database complements the existing notification obligations for Candidate List substances in articles subject to REACH regulation and its related communication through the supply chain, according to Articles 7 (2) and 33 respectively.
Click here to refer to the official List on ECHA’s website.
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.
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The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN)/CENELEC
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Reference
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Title
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Date of withdrawal (*)
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Supersedes
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EN 353-2:2024
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Personal fall protection equipment - Part 2: Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line
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31 March 2025
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EN 353-2:2002
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EN ISO 12312-1:2022/A11:2024
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Eye and face protection - Sunglasses and related eyewear - Part 1: Sunglasses for general use
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31 March 2025
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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 13 alerts regarding protective equipment were reported between week 30 and week 38 of 2024.
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Type of Risk
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Number of alerts
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Notes
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Chemical
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1
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Protective work gloves
The leather in the product contains chromium VI.
The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
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Damage to hearing
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1
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Earmuffs
The cups of the earmuffs develop cracks, which may affect the sealing between the earmuffs and the area around the ear, reducing the noise attenuation level.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation.
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Drowning
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2
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Swimming aid
The product contains material weakness in the buoyancy aid and the absence of warnings about active supervision.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation.
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1
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Inflatable vest
Health and safety requirements are not met due to a missing conformity assessment and technical documentation.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation.
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Drowning, Strangulation
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1
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Swim vest
The cape can become entangled during various activities of a child.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation.
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Health risk / other
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2
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Particle filter mask
The total filtration capacity of the mask is insufficient.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation or EN 149.
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Injuries
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1
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Ice anchor
The product's maximum pull-out strength is insufficient, potentially failing to support climbers adequately on ice.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation or EN 568.
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1
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Sports protective gear
The range of movement of the elbow, knee and wrist protection devices is excessive, surpassing the maximum limits. Moreover, the wrist guard restraint system is not continuously adjusted, which makes the wrist guard ineffective in the event of a fall.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (PPE) or EN 14120.
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1
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Protective gear set
The range of extension of the artificial wrist is excessive, which makes the wrist guard ineffective in the event of a fall.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (PPE) or EN 14120.
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1
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Safety vest
The retro-reflective material does not have the required reflectance values, meaning that a user is not adequately visible in situations where high visibility is essential.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation or EN 20471.
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1
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Bicycle helmet
A plastic component at the back of the helmet that holds the chinstrap can break.
The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation.
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UK
OPSS issues Product Safety Alerts to the UK market.
The following 12 alerts regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were issued between week 30 and week 38 of 2024.
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Type of Risk
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Number of alerts
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Notes
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Damage to hearing
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1
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Over the ear earmuff
The product does not comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (3.5 Protection against the harmful effects of noise).
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1
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Noise Cancelling Headphones
The fluorescent green plastic may develop cracks.
The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation 2016/425 or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
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Drowning
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1
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Life jacket
The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that they have been adequately assessed for conformity.
The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
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1
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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.
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1
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Inflatable lifejacket
There is an issue with the deployment of the inflatable bladder, which can lead to the breach of the cover’s seams in rare cases when it is inflated.
The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
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Electric shock
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1
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Safety shoes
The product is intended to provide protection against electrical hazards by meeting the requirements of BS EN50321. It has not completed the appropriate conformity assessment procedure as Category III PPE to demonstrate that it provides this protection.
The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation 2016/425 when used as intended in electrical environments. The product is only certified as a basic safety boot.
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Injuries
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3
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Climbing harness
The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that it has been adequately assessed for conformity.
The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment nor the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
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1
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Tripod
Globestock has redesigned the head casting to strengthen and make it more robust.
Globestock has undertaken a voluntary recall by directly contacting its customers to return the tripod for a replacement of the head casting.
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1
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Cycle helmet
A plastic component at the back of the helmet that holds the chinstrap can break. If this occurs, the helmet may not remain securely in place during an impact or fall, compromising the safety of the user.
The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
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1
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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.
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