The benchmark regulation for personal protective equipment is Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment, repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC.
In accordance with the aforementioned Regulation, personal protective equipment is deemed to be:
- a) equipment designed and manufactured to be worn or held by a person to protect against one or more risks to his or her health or safety;
- b) the interchangeable components of the equipment referred to in point a) that are essential for their protective function;
- c) the connection systems for the equipment mentioned in point a) that are not worn or held by a person, that are designed to connect this equipment to an external device or structure or to a secure anchor point, which are not designed to be permanently fixed and do not require locking manoeuvres before use.
The use of personal protective equipment is the last option in managing the risks associated with a task or a job, the aim being to minimise the injury that a person may suffer and it is often the last barrier. Selecting the wrong equipment could thus cause significant injury and even death.
