Why a risk assessment is indispensable before selecting PPE

For us as a manufacturer of workwear and protective clothing, questions of occupational health and safety have a high priority. Therefore, we would like to provide some important information on the subject of "risk assessment" and "risk evaluation".

Before selecting the PPE, the employer must perform a risk assessment in order to determine the required protection level of the clothing (see Sections 3, 4, 5 of the German Labour Protection Law – ArbSchG). In addition, a practical wash/wear test is essential.

A woman and a man in work clothes inspect processes in the chemical industry.

Risk assessment procedure

Before carrying out the risk assessment, the user should ask the following four questions:

WHO is to be protected?
WHY is protection required?
WHAT has to be protected (e.g. torso, head, hands)?
WHEN is protection to be provided (e.g. for all work carried out)?

Die 7 steps of risk assessment

The risk assessment takes place in several stages:

Preparing the risk assessment
Identify the risks
Assessing the risks
Establishing specific occupational safety measures
Implementing the measures
Checking implementation and the effectiveness of the measures
Updating the risk assessment

The "TOP"-principle

Risks must always be eliminated or reduced directly at source. If risks cannot be sufficiently minimised, additional organisational measures have to be taken, followed by personal measures: the "TOP" principle.

T Technical measures, e.g. light barriers on moving machine parts.
O Organisational measures, e.g. limiting the amount of time spent working under high physical stress
P Personal measures, e.g. using personal protective equipment.

Once the results of the risk assessment are available (which risks occur and which protective effects have to be achieved by the use of PPE), the textile PPE can be determined.

BP® employee checks the quality of a BP® jacket.

PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425: What conditions apply to the provision of PPE?

The European Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment (PPE) has been applied since 21 April 2018. It repeals the Directive 89/686/EEC and is directly applicable within the EU.

Since then, all EU states have had to adhere to this regulation when it comes to the manufacture and supply of PPE. The Regulation (EU) 2016/425 regulates the terms for the supply of PPE on the market and the free movement within the European Community.

In addition, it formulates the fundamental safety requirements that PPE must meet in order to protect the health of the user and ensure his/her safety. CE stands for "Conformité Européenne" and means "compliance with EU guidelines".

An energy supplier wears Multinorm protective clothing and works in a room with a circuit breaker.

Risk categories of personal protective equipment

Every PPE is to be classified according to the risk categories outlined in Annex 1 of the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. The categorisation is carried out according to the risk from which the PPE is meant to protect.

The following are the three distinct categories:

Category I: Simple PPE to protect against minimal dangers (e.g. weatherproof clothing). This PPE does not require certification by an external inspection body and is not subject to EU supervision.

Category II: PPE to protect against medium risks (e.g. high-visibility clothing). This PPE is certified by an external inspection body but is not subject to EU supervision.

Category III: Complex PPE to protect against lethal hazards and irreversible damage to health (e.g. clothing that is resistant to welding spatters, heat, electric arcs and chemicals). This PPE must be certified by an external inspection body and is subject to EU supervision. Items in PPE category III carry the CE mark with a four-figure identification number in the form “CE xxxx”. This indicates the independent quality-assurance inspection body that regularly checks the PPE clothing for conformity with the fundamental requirements of the applicable regulation.