Green Circle Talks Cross-border]-EU PPE Commodity Compliance Interpretation

PPE Profile:

• 1. What is PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)?

PPE: Personal Protective Equipment, PPE is the abbreviation of Personal Protective Equipment, i.e., personal protective equipment that protects workers from or reduces accidental injuries and occupational hazards in the course of labor, and the selection of appropriate personal protective equipment helps to protect people from more protection in their work life and recreational activities.

• 2. EU Standards for PPE

EU Regulation 2016/425 requires all PPE placed on the European market to comply with the regulation. PPE is divided into three categories according to the level of risk involved, meaning that the certification process is more stringent for high-risk PPE.
Class I PPE: refers to the minimum risk in preventing progressive effects. The list includes surface mechanical action, weak cleaning solutions, non-extreme atmospheric conditions and sunlight.
Type II PPE: refers to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which is used to protect the user from moderate risk of injury, such as mechanical injury, heat and flame, chemical splash, etc.
Class III PPE: is protection against fatal hazards or risks that could seriously and irreversibly damage the wearer's health. The list includes products that protect against falls from heights, chemicals and gases, hazardous voltages, high or low temperature environments, harmful noise, drowning, hand-held chainsaw cuts, gunshot wounds, knife stabbings, harmful bacteria, and high-pressure jets.

PPE Personal Protection Risk Rating:

• Low Hazard Category.

1, surface mechanical damage; (gardening gloves, thimbles, etc.)
2. Poor contact with cleaning materials or prolonged contact with water; (gloves to protect from diluted cleaning fluids, etc.)
3、Contact with hot surfaces not exceeding 50℃; (hats, seasonal clothing, shoes, etc.);
4, due to exposure to the sun (in addition to observation under the sun), the damage caused to the eyes; (sunglasses)
5. Smaller impacts and vibrations that do not affect fatal body parts or cause irreversible damage.

• Medium Danger Category:

1、Protection against serious mechanical hazards, such as metal work gloves, welder's apron, chainsaw protective clothing, and safety shoes;
2、Life jackets, buoyancy protection, swimming protection, waterproof clothing, sports protective equipment;
3. High-visibility clothing;
4, motorcycle protective clothing (motorcycle clothing);
5. Helmet (non-motorcycle), eye protection, hearing protection.

• High Hazard Category.

1、Used to prevent solid or gaseous floating dust material, or irritating, dangerous, toxic or radioactive gases filtering respiratory devices;
2、Breathing protection devices used for complete isolation from the atmosphere, including those used in submerged water;
3. Only PPE that has some protection against chemical corrosion or ionizing radiation;
4, first aid equipment for use in high-temperature environments, which can be used in atmospheric temperatures of 100 ℃ or more in the environment, with or without infrared, flame or spray a large number of features of the molten material;
5. Use first aid equipment in an environment equivalent to -50℃;
6. Prevent PPE from falling from heights.

PPE Personal Protection product range:

• Head protection products: such as occupational helmets, industrial helmets, sports helmets, work hats, dust caps, waterproof hats, cold hats, safety helmets, anti-static hats, anti-high-temperature hats, anti-electromagnetic radiation hats, anti-insect hats, crash hats and so on;
• Eye protection: such as sunglasses, filters, welding goggles and masks, kiln goggles and masks, and impact eye protection;
• Hand protection products: general protective gloves, waterproof gloves, cold-proof gloves, anti-virus gloves, anti-electrostatic gloves, high temperature gloves, anti-X-ray gloves, anti-acid and alkali gloves, oil-proof gloves, anti-vibration gloves, anti-cutting gloves, insulated gloves, etc;
• Respiratory protection: dust masks and gas masks, which can be categorized into filtration and isolation masks according to their forms;
• Hearing protection: earplugs, earmuffs and noise protection helmets.
• Foot care products: such as dustproof shoes, waterproof shoes, coldproof shoes, anti-shock shoes, anti-static shoes, anti-high temperature shoes, anti-acid and alkali shoes, anti-oil shoes, anti-scalded shoes, anti-slip shoes, anti-puncture shoes, electric insulated shoes, anti-shock shoes, and so on;
• Torso protection products: such as general protective clothing, waterproof clothing, cold-proof clothing, anti-smash back clothing, anti-virus clothing, flame-retardant clothing, anti-static clothing, anti-high-temperature clothing, anti-magnetic radiation clothing, acid and alkali clothing, oil-proof clothing, water life jackets, anti-insects, wind and sand, and so on;
• Fall prevention supplies: safety belts and safety nets, etc;
• Chemical Supplies Protective Supplies;

PPE does not apply to the following personal protective equipment:

• Protective equipment (e.g. helmets, shields, etc.) designed and manufactured specifically for use by armed forces or for the maintenance of law and order;
• Protective equipment for self-defense (smoke canisters, self-defense weapons, etc.);
• Protective equipment designed and manufactured for personal use to protect against the following hazards;
• Unfavorable atmospheric conditions (hats, seasonal clothing, footwear, umbrellas, etc.);
• Moisture and water resistant (dishwashing gloves, etc.);
• Protective equipment used for the protection or rescue of passengers on board a ship or aircraft that is not worn all the time;
• Helmets and goggles for riders of two or three-wheeled motorcycles