PERSONAL
PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT (PPE)
CERTIFICATION
CE MARKING

WHO CAN CERTIFY PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT?

The conformity assessment of PPE must be carried out by a Notified Body.

AITEX is a Notified Body No. 0161, for Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment, which establishes the essential health and safety requirements that personal protective equipment must comply with.

The accreditation covers:
>      EU type examination certificates (Module B)
>      Conformity to type based on internal production control plus supervised control of the product at random intervals (module C2)
>      Conformity to type based on quality assurance of the production process (module D)

CE MARKING

‘CE marking’ means a marking by which the manufacturer indicates that PPE is in conformity with the applicable requirements set out in Union harmonisation legislation providing for its affixing.

Rules and conditions for affixing the CE marking:

>      The CE marking shall be affixed before the PPE is placed on the market.
>      For category III PPE, the CE marking shall be followed by the identification number of the notified body involved in the procedure. The identification number of the notified body shall be affixed by the body itself or, under its instructions, by the manufacturer or his authorised representative.

RISK CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

>    Category I

Category I includes exclusively the following minimal risks: (a)superficial mechanical injury; (b)contact with cleaning materials of weak action or prolonged contact with water; (c) contact with hot surfaces not exceeding 50 °C; (d)damage to the eyes due to exposure to sunlight (other than during observation of the sun); (e)atmospheric conditions that are not of an extreme nature.

>    Category II

Category II includes risks other than those listed in Categories I and III;.

>    Category III

Category III includes exclusively the risks that may cause very serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health relating to the following: (a) substances and mixtures which are hazardous to health; (b) atmospheres with oxygen deficiency; (c) harmful biological agents; (d)ionising radiation; (e) high-temperature environments the effects of which are comparable to those of an air temperature of at least 100 °C; (f) low-temperature environments the effects of which are comparable to those of an air temperature of – 50 °C or less; (g) falling from a height; (h) electric shock and live working; (i) drowning; (j) cuts by hand-held chainsaws; (k) high-pressure jets; (l) bullet wounds or knife stabs; (m) harmful noise.

CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

The conformity assessment procedures to be followed for each of the risk categories set out in Annex I are as follows:

>      Category I: internal production control (module A)
>      Category II: EU type-examination (module B), followed by conformity to type based on internal production control (module C),
>      Category III: EU type-examination (module B), and either of the following:
             (i) conformity to type based on internal production control plus supervised product checks at random intervals (module C2).
           (ii) conformity to type based on quality assurance of the production process (module D).

Applicants for certifications of this type of products commit themselves to the signing of the formal application for certification to comply with the obligations that apply within their activities and are found both in current legislation, as in ISO / IEC 17065:2012, which are detailed in the document: