EU · Regulation (EU) 2016/425
Personal protective equipment and risk categories
Identify the market and product category first. Each dossier separates legal duties, referenced standards, evidence and the comparison needed for an award.
Product Scope
Equipment worn or held for protection against health or safety risks, including applicable protective clothing, safety footwear, helmets, eyewear and fall protection. Ordinary fashion items or comfort products are not PPE merely because a seller uses protective wording.
Requirements
Match the claimed hazard and protection class to Annex I risk category and Annex II essential requirements. Category I uses internal production control; Category II requires EU-type examination plus production control; Category III also requires supervised product checks or approved production-quality assurance. Protective performance and harmlessness both matter.
Required Evidence
Provide intended hazards, class claims, complete method-specific test reports, fitting and conditioning information, instructions, declaration and required certificates. Verify the notified body’s product scope and surveillance role in NANDO; laboratory accreditation alone does not replace notified-body functions.
Comparison for the Awards
Compare impact attenuation, penetration, filtration or other relevant performance only within the same method and class framework. A higher protection class may have usability trade-offs and cannot establish protection against hazards outside the product’s certified scope.
Version & Transition
PPE Regulation applies from 21 April 2018. The official harmonised-standard page now identifies Decision 2026/1279, replacing 2023/941; check its individual standards and transition provisions.
Official Sources
Applicability depends on the product classification, intended use, configuration and actual sales territory. Manufacturing, placing-on-the-market and testing dates, together with transition provisions, are checked as required by each applicable rule. The directory identifies sources; it does not replace assessment of the specific model. Standards are identified by reference, and their authoritative texts remain with the issuing bodies. Official source documents retain their original language.