Latest PPE Regulation Draft Text Now Available
Please follow this link to find the latest draft of the PPE Regulations agreed by the EU parliament. This is now going to the final stages of editing before publication, which is expected to be the middle of the year.
The following is a brief summary of the draft PPE Regulations:
- obligations placed on the supply chain have increased, covering manufacturers, importers and distributors.
- declaration of conformity now includes expanded requirements.
- categorisation of PPE is now contained with annex I, risk categories.
- category III PPE has increased, additionally now includes PPE against drowning, cuts by hand held chain saws, high pressure jets, bullet wounds, knife stabs and harmful noise.
- technical documentation to support EC type-examination application has increased in complexity.
- technical documentation to include a risk assessment.
- category I PPE to be subject to module A, internal production control; no involvement of notified bodies.
- category II PPE to be subject to type-examination ( notified body involved ) and internal production control (no notified body involvement); modules B and C.
- category III PPE to be subject to type-examination ( notified body involved ) and either conformity to type based on product checks or conformity to type based on quality assurance (notified body involved); modules B + C2 or D.
- type-examination certificates to have a maximum validity of 5 years.
- renewal process outlined in the regulation.
- review of certificates by both manufacturer and notified bodies now included.
- regulations expected to be published middle 2016; enter into force.
- regulation to be applied 2 years after entering force.
- existing certificates against Directive 89/686 to have a maximum validity of 5 years following regulation being applied.
- member states shall not impede the making available on the market of products covered by Directive 89/686/EEC which are in conformity with that Directive and which were placed on the market before 3 years after the regulation enters into force. NOTE: This appears to contradict the 5 year period and clarification has been sought.
For further help and advice please contact a member of our Certification team PPECert@bttg.co.uk