Person Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment is equipment protecting the wearer against one or several health- or safety risks. To be able to sell personal protective equipment within the EU you need to follow directive 89/686/EEC, which is the European directive regulating PPE products. The directive regulates requirements regarding function, marking, technical documentation and the CE marking process.

Personal protective equipment is divided, according to the directive, into three categories:

Category I – Protective equipment of simple design protecting against minimal risks where the user himself can assess level of protection. Products from Blåkläder: Rainwear.

Category II – Neither simple nor complex design protecting against intermediate risks. Products from Blåkläder: High visibility garments, protective shoes, protective gloves, kneepads, garments protecting against heat and flame, saw protection.

Category III – Protective equipment of complex design protecting the wearer against mortal danger or serious and irreversible injuries where the user himself cannot identify the risks in sufficient time. Products from Blåkläder: Filter respiratory devices, garments protecting against electric arcs.

Category II and III products are type examined by a notified body and conforms with several different harmonizing standards.

PPE products shall be CE marked to be able to sell them. The CE mark means that a product is type examined and conforms with the requirements for the protective equipment set in the directive 89/686/EC. Consequently, the protective equipment can be sold in all EU and EES countries.

All PPE-products by Blåkläder conforms with the requirements set in directive 89/686/EC.

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