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European Union

European Commission Amends Harmonised Standards for Personal Protective Equipment

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The European Commission has issued a decision amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 as regards harmonised standards for hearing protectors, personal fall protection equipment, mountaineering equipment, knee protectors, protective clothing against tick bites, and electrically insulating helmets. This decision supports Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council on personal protective equipment. The amended Implementing Decision aims to ensure that the harmonised standards reflect the latest technical and scientific progress and meet the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex II to the Regulation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Commission has issued a decision to amend Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941, impacting the harmonised standards for personal protective equipment.
  • The amendments include new harmonised standards for knee protectors, kneeling systems, and garments with permethrin as-treated articles against tick bites.
  • The Commission has assessed whether certain harmonised standards comply with the request set out in Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 and has identified several standards that meet the essential health and safety requirements.
  • The harmonised standard EN 352-2:2020+A1:2024 lacks labelling indicating the noise attenuation level, while EN 14404-3:2024 does not list requirements for the dimension of the zone of protection of knee protectors in Annex ZA, necessitating restriction upon publication.
  • Cenelec has issued a correction to the harmonised standard EN 50365:2023 on electrically insulating helmets, making it indispensable for correct application.
  • The references of certain harmonised standards will be withdrawn from the Official Journal of the European Union, and new references will be included in Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941.
  • The revised standards will confer a presumption of conformity to the corresponding essential requirements from the date of publication.
  • Manufacturers will be given sufficient time to prepare for the application of the revised standards.

Statistics:

  • The amendments impact the harmonised standards for hearing protectors, personal fall protection equipment, mountaineering equipment, knee protectors, protective clothing against tick bites, and electrically insulating helmets.
  • 8 new harmonised standards are introduced, and 4 revised standards are amended.
  • The Commission assessed a total of 12 harmonised standards, out of which 8 meet the essential health and safety requirements.
  • The revised standards include EN 352-2:2020+A1:2024, EN 353-2:2024, EN 958:2024, EN 14404-2:2024, EN 14404-4:2024, EN 14404-6:2024, EN 17109:2020+A1:2024, and EN 17487:2024.

Sources:

  • COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2025/895 of 14 May 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 as regards the harmonised standards for hearing protectors, personal fall protection equipment, mountaineering equipment, knee protectors, protective clothing against tick bites and electrically insulating helmets
  • Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC
  • Commission Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 of 19 November 2020 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization as regards personal protective equipment in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  • Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 of 2 May 2023 on harmonised standards for personal protective equipment drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council

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