Council Directive of 21 December 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment (89/686/EEC)

2. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS COMMON TO SEVERAL CLASSES OR TYPES OF PPE U.K.

2.1. PPE incorporating adjustment systems U.K.

If PPE incorporates adjustment systems, the latter must be so designed and manufactured as not to become incorrectly adjusted without the user's knowledge under the foreseeable conditions of use.

2.2. PPE ‘enclosing’ the parts of the body to be protected U.K.

As far as possible, PPE ‘enclosing’ the parts of the body to be protected must be sufficiently ventilated to limit perspiration resulting from use; if this is not the case, it must if possible be equipped with devices which absorb perspiration.

2.3. PPE for the face, eyes and respiratory tracts U.K.

Any restriction of the user's field of vision or sight by PPE for the face, eyes or respiratory tract must be minimized.

The degree of optical neutrality of the vision systems of these PPE classes must be compatible with the type of relatively meticulous and/or prolonged activities of the user.

If necessary, they must be treated or provided with facilities to prevent moisture formation.

PPE models intended for users requiring sight correction must be compatible with the wearing of spectacles or contact lenses.

2.4. PPE subject to ageing U.K.

If it is known that the design performances of new PPE may be significantly affected by ageing, the date of manufacture and/or, if possible, the date of obsolescence, must be indelibly inscribed on every PPE item or interchangeable component placed on the market in such a way as to preclude any misinterpretation; this information must also be indelibly inscribed on the packaging.

If a manufacturer is unable to give an undertaking with regard to the useful life of PPE, his notes must provide all the information necessary to enable the purchaser or user to establish a reasonable obsolescence date, bearing in mind the quality level of the model and the effective conditions of storage, use, cleaning, servicing and maintenance.

Where appreciable and rapid deterioration in PPE performance is likely to be caused by ageing resulting from the periodic use of a cleaning process recommended by the manufacturer, the latter must, if possible, affix a mark to each item of PPE placed on the market indicating the maximum number of cleaning operations that may be carried out before the equipment needs to be inspected or discarded; failing that, the manufacturer must give this information in his notes.

2.5. PPE which may be caught up during use U.K.

Where the foreseeable conditions of use include in particular the risk of the PPE being caught up by a moving object thereby creating a danger for the user, the PPE must possess an appropriate resistance threshold above which a constituent part will break and eliminate the danger.

2.6. PPE for use in explosive atmospheres U.K.

PPE intended for use in explosive atmospheres must be so designed and manufactured that it cannot be the source of an electric, electrostatic or impact-induced arc or spark likely to cause an explosive mixture to ignite.

2.7. PPE intended for emergency use or rapid installation and/or removal U.K.

These PPE classes must be so designed and manufactured as to minimize the time required for attachment and (or) removal.

Any integral systems permitting correct positioning on, or removal from, the user must be susceptible of rapid and easy operation.

2.8. PPE for use in very dangerous situations U.K.

The information notes supplied by the manufacturer together with PPE for use in the very dangerous situations referred to in Article 8 (4) (a) must include, in particular, data intended for the exclusive use of competent trained individuals who are qualified to interpret them and ensure their application by the user.

They must also describe the procedure to be adopted in order to verify that PPE is correctly adjusted and functional when worn by the user.

If PPE incorporates an alarm which is activated in the absence of the level of protection normally provided, this must be so designed and accommodated as to be perceived by the user in the conditions of use for which the PPE is marketed.

2.9. PPE incorporating components which can be adjusted or removed by the user U.K.

Any PPE components which can be adjusted or removed by the user for the purpose of replacement must be so designed and manufactured as to facilitate adjustment, attachment and removal without tools.

2.10. PPE for connection to another, external complementary device U.K.

If PPE incorporates a system permitting connection to another, complementary, device, the attachment mechanism must be so designed and manufactured as to enable it to be mounted only on appropriate equipment.

2.11. PPE incorporating a fluid circulation system U.K.

If PPE incorporates a fluid circulation system, the latter must be so chosen, or designed, and incorporated as to permit adequate fluid renewal in the vicinity of the entire part of the body to be protected, irrespective of user gestures, posture or movement under the foreseeable conditions of use.

2.12. PPE bearing one or more identification or recognition marks directly or indirectly relating to health and safety U.K.

The identification or recognition marks directly or indirectly relating to health and safety affixed to these types or classes of PPE must preferably take the form of harmonized pictograms or ideograms and must remain perfectly legible throughout the foreseeable useful life of the PPE. In addition, these marks must be complete, precise and comprehensible so as to prevent any misinterpretation; in particular, when such marks incorporate words or sentences, the latter must appear in the official language(s) of the Member State where the equipment is to be used.

If PPE (or a PPE component) is too small to allow all or part of the necessary marking to be affixed, the relevant information must be mentioned on the packing and in the manufacturer's notes.

2.13. PPE in the form of clothing capable of signalling the user's presence visually U.K.

PPE in the form of clothing intended for foreseeable conditions of use in which the user's presence must be visibly and individually signalled must have one (or more) judiciously positioned means of or devices for emitting direct or reflected visible radiation of appropriate luminous intensity and photometric and colorimetric properties.

2.14. ‘Multi-risk’ PPE U.K.

All PPE designed to protect the user against several potentially simultaneous risks must be so designed and manufactured as to satisfy, in particular, the basic requirements specific to each of those risks (see 3).