EN 14058 - What you need to know about cold protection.

EN 14058

CLOTHING FOR PROTECTION IN COOL ENVIRONMENTS

Protective clothing in accordance with the EN 14058 standard plays a crucial role in the working environment, especially in cool working areas where protection against cold and other environmental influences is of paramount importance. The EN 14058 standard specifies requirements for protective clothing specifically designed for use in cool environments.

This standard not only serves to protect the wearer from the negative effects of low temperatures, but also takes into account factors such as comfort, freedom of movement and breathability. In the following, we will take a closer look at the requirements and properties of protective clothing according to EN 14058 and highlight the importance of this standard for working environments where protection in cool environments is crucial.

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Description

The EN 14058 standard specifies the requirements for protective clothing to protect the body against cool environments. Cool environment is defined in the standard as a possible combination of humidity and wind at temperatures of -5 °C and above.

Protective clothing within the scope of this standard includes trousers, jackets, waistcoats, coats and also removable thermal linings. It does not include footwear, gloves or separate headgear. In addition, cold protection clothing systems are excluded from this standard.

Test method

The standard defines, among other things, the determination of the thermal resistance. The lower the thermal resistance Rct value, the easier it is for the heat produced by humans to penetrate through the clothing to the outside.

Air permeability (AP)

There are 3 possible classes:

Class 1 materials are suitable for low air velocities of less than 1 m/s, such as those found in cool indoor environments.
Class 2 materials are suitable for air velocities of less than 5m/s.
Class 3 materials are for high air speeds ≥ 5m/s, such as outdoor activities.

Labelling on the clothing/ pictogram

"y1" corresponds to the class of thermal resistance Rct (m² K/W). The higher the class, the better the insulation:

Thermal resistance	Rct (m² K/W)
class 1	0,06 ≤ Rct < 0,12
class 2	0,12 ≤ Rct < 0,18
class 3	0,18 ≤ Rct < 0,25
class 4	0,25 ≤ Rct

"y2" corresponds to the air permeability class, AP (mm/s). The higher the class, the better the air density and insulation:

Air permeability AP

	(mm/s)
class 1	100 < AP
class 2	5 < AP ≤ 100
class 3	AP ≤ 5

"y3" corresponds to the basic thermal insulation Icler (optional for class 1-3).

"WP" corresponds to the water transmission resistance (optional). If not tested, the letters "y" and "WP" are replaced by "x".

Household laundry

For employers in classic "male industries" such as crafts, construction or production companies, there are numerous reasons for providing their female employees with their own work clothes. These are the most important ones:

More and more women in "men's jobs": The percentage of women workers in crafts, construction and production has increased continuously in recent years. Women are no longer an exception and have a right to comfortable and safe work clothes.
Increase attractiveness as an employer for women: In times of a shortage of skilled workers, companies cannot afford to do without female employees. Therefore, attractive work clothes should also be a matter of course for women.
Strengthen team spirit in mixed teams of men and women: This is also only possible if the different requirements of all members are taken into account. These requirements must also be met by the work clothing.
Professional appearance to the outside world: To strengthen the image and the brand, a uniform and professional appearance towards customers and the public is essential. For this, too, both men and women need the right workwear.
Performance of the employees: Only those who feel comfortable in their work clothes and can concentrate on their work can deliver top performance! In addition, well-fitting work clothes reduce the risk of accidents.