Guidance to the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425: Updates to Version 4 Published October 2024
The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation (EU) 2016/425 guide has been prepared to ensure the harmonization of products in the field of occupational safety and personal protection with the European Union market. This guidance, which first entered into force in April 2018, guides manufacturers, importers, distributors and other relevant stakeholders through the process from conformity assessments to market inspections of PPE products. The guidance aims to facilitate the free movement of PPE products within the EU while maintaining high health and safety standards. The guidance is a legal regulation based on the EU’s “New Approach” harmonization framework and sets out the essential health and safety requirements for products.
The 4th edition, published on October 23, 2024, updates the existing guidance chapters in the 3rd edition and expands its scope by adding new topics. The main changes from the previous 3rd edition include elaborations in areas such as conformity assessments of PPE products used for high-risk situations, protection against harmful blue light and laser radiation. In addition, occupation-specific regulations have been added, such as special protective clothing and gloves for welders, and harmonization with EU product rules has been improved with changes to the section on manufacturer’s instructions.
Specific to version 4, new topics such as “clothing with reflective elements” and “ergonomic equipment” for workers in low light conditions have been added. These additions broaden the scope of the PPE guidance to improve worker safety. Clothing with reflective properties ensures occupational safety and visibility, while ergonomic equipment prioritizes worker comfort and promotes health and safety during prolonged use.
These updates make the compliance processes for the use of PPE across Europe more accessible and clearer and demonstrate the dynamic nature of the guidance. The 4th edition provides a more detailed framework for manufacturers, importers and distributors of PPE and promotes high safety standards across the entire life cycle of PPE (design, manufacture, distribution, use).
For more information see PPE Regulation Guidlines 4th Edition
