Personal Protective Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Safety and quality for your products
What standards must protective gloves meet?
Protective gloves must always meet the EN 420 standard, gloves protecting against
mechanical risks must meet the EN 388 standards specifically, heat and fire-resistant
gloves EN 407, cold protection gloves EN 511 and gloves protecting against chemical
risks EN 344 etc.
Which standards apply to safety vests?
EN 471
Which standards must be complied with for accessories (reflective accessories)
within the non-professional sector?
EN 13356
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Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany
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The Challenge
Legal obligations and competitiveness:
With protective gloves, reflective and safety clothing, personal injury and damage
to health is likely in the event of misuse (e.g. due to a lack of labelling).
A lot of products have been regulated by law in order to protect users. Manufacturers,
importers and retailers of these product groups are therefore legally obliged to guarantee the “declared protection”.
The legal obligations thus range from declarations of conformity and CE marks
through to type examinations and certification.
Consumer demand for protective clothing has steadily increased in recent years.
In 2011, the per capita spending on work and protective clothing per federal citizen
was approx. 32 euros. The market for products “promising safety” has also sought
out additional channels of distribution e.g. retail.
The legal requirements are also set to increase over the next few years in order to
respond to this situation in terms of consumer protection.
Faster market launch:
Due to the ever growing pressure of shorter and shorter market cycles for discounters
and retailers, test times are playing an increasingly important role.
Short testing times reinforce a company’s position compared with its rivals.
Brand protection through tested quality:
Do you also want to avoid product recalls, negative press or complaints by the
Trade Supervisory Board? Tested quality and documented safety standards ensure
protection of your brand and of your company’s image!
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany
www.bureauveritas.de /cps
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Testing, Certification, Inspection,
Audit and Consulting:
We provide all services from a single source
Bureau Veritas supports you in launching your products on the market quickly and at same
time, in compliance with the applicable standards.
We provide all services from a single source and throughout your entire supply chain.
LEGALLY REQUIRED TESTS:
 Creation of specifications in accordance with national and European requirements
 Chemical tests:
Drafting of test requirements under the German Product Safety Act (ProdSG) for
controlled substances such as PAH, phthalate, nonylphenol, PFOS and nitrosamine
 Safety-relevant physical tests:
Protective gloves:
specification of size, flexibility, reinforcement, tear-resistance, cut resistance and
puncture resistance
Reflective clothing:
specification of size, verification of photometric performance, retroreflection,
classification in performance groups, physical textile tests
Protective clothing:
specification of size, safety-relevant tests, e.g. hydrostatic pressure, corrosion
 Certificates (EC type examination certificate) as Notified Body
 Information about relevant topics in the area of personal protective equipment in
accordance with European Directive 89/686/EEC
 Support within chemicals legislation incl. REACH
PLUS: QUALITY-RELATED TESTS:
 Impact of textile care, e.g. assessment of the look and feel of the product
 Simulation of wearing properties, e.g. pilling, colour fastness and various tensile
tests
 Tests on functional textiles, e.g. breathability, air permeability, waterproofing,
water and dirt repellence etc.
 Material key figures such as yarn and microfibre determination, weight and fabric
density etc.
 Inspections before, during and after production or upon shipment
 Social audits
 Factory assessments
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Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany
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BENEFITS FOR YOU

Short testing time enables a rapid market launch

Competence and know-how:
We test and certify the safety and quality of your products
– your promise of protection to your clients!
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany
www.bureauveritas.de /cps
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Requirements Legally-regulated sector
Gloves
Reflective clothing
Category I
Protective clothing
Category I
“for use with minimal risks only”
Protective clothing against rain in
accordance with EN 343
 CE mark +
declaration of conformity
 CE mark +
declaration of conformity
e.g. gardening gloves or simple leather gloves for removal workers
Category II
e.g. rain jackets for road construction, road
patrol or refuse collection workers
Category II
“against mechanical risks”
Reflective clothing in accordance with EN 471
 CE mark +
declaration of conformity
 CE mark +
declaration of conformity
 Type examination +
certificate by Notified Body
 Type examination +
certificate by Notified Body
 Label pictogram
for performance levels
 Label pictogram
for performance levels
e.g. protective gloves for professional sector
e.g. safety vest with retroreflective stripes for
professional use, safety vests for public service workers
Category II
Work clothing in accordance with EN 510
“against entanglement in moving parts”
 CE mark +
declaration of conformity
 Type examination +
certificate by Notified Body
 Label pictogram
for performance levels
e.g. overalls for tradespeople or industrial
workers
Accessories in accordance with EN 13356
“Reflective accessories for
the non-professional sector”
 CE mark +
declaration of conformity
 Type examination +
certificate by Notified Body
 Label pictogram for performance levels
e.g. reflective armbands
Reflective clothing in accordance with EN 1150
“for the non-professional sector”
 CE mark
 Declaration of conformity
 Type examination +
certificate by Notified Body
 Label pictogram for performance levels
e.g. Safety clothing for road transport,
e.g. children’s jackets with retroreflective,
fluorescent materials
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Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany
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Requirements Legally non-regulated and specific sector
Gloves
Reflective clothing
Protective clothing
“No specific protection”
“No specific warning effect”
“No specific protection”
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
 Oven gloves
 Promotional goods or fun items with
reflective properties
 Functional clothing for sport
 Children’s gloves
 Leather gloves
 Ski gloves
 Wash mitts
 Cycling gloves
 Promotional goods with
“private labelling”
 Retroreflective piping on sports clothing
 Pet supplies, e.g. high-visibility vests for
dogs
und leisure
 Breathability
 Protection against
rain and wind
 Pot holders etc.
Specific sector
“Specific official requirements”

Public service
(police, the military, public transport etc.)
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany
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www.bureauveritas.de/cps
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany GmbH
BV CPS Germany Ver01 Rev09 May 2013
Oehleckerring 40, 22419 Hamburg
Phone: + 49 40 74 041 0
cps-hamburg@de.bureauveritas.com