Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Dickies Store is one of the premier suppliers of Personal Protective Equipment in the UK, and as such we have complied this informal and non-authoritative guide to help you understand the many codes relating to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the levels of protection afforded by the products that bear them. All EN products that we provide are accessible via the accompanying links in the categories below.It is important to note that we offer this information purely to assist you in finding the protective products that may suit your PPE requirements and urge you to seek professional safety advice in all cases. Should you have any additional questions, our Safety Advisors, HMS (Hilton Management Services), will answer general queries by email
Ask HMS a question – click here.
For further assistance, we have provided links to BSi Standards where full PPE product specifications may be obtained together with further references to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) where detailed information regarding personal protective equipment can be obtained.
BSi - http://www.bsistandards.co.uk
HSE - http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/index.ht
FAQ – What does CE mean?
Protective Footwear
All protective and safety footwear, regardless of style, should have steel toe-caps conforming to EN345 (200 Joules)*. This means the steel toe-cap will withstand the impact of 20kg in weight falling from a height of 10.2 metres. The protection standard in protective footwear also relates to compression corresponding to approximately 1.5 tonnes resting on the toe area.
*Safety Footwear is often generally referred to as EN345 but the full reference is: BS EN ISO 20345:2004
Flame Retardant
Appropriate protective clothing is essential when welding or working in foundries, but you need to ensure that you have the correct product for the environment and work at hand. When welding or engaging in similar activities, safety workwear and equipment needs to meet the specifications of protection level EN470 Part 1, while industrial workers who are exposed to heat require protective wear that meets the specifications of level EN531.
High Visibility Garments
All protective high visibility gear should meet the requirements of The Safety at Street Work and Road Works Code of Practice. The highest level of protection for high visibility safety workwear is EN471 Class 3. This level of Hi Vis protection should be worn on trunk roads and all other roads forming the Primary Route Network (PRN), as well as roads displaying green/blue directional signs and all other roads where the speed limit is 40mph and above.
For intermediate protection, which is also the minimum requirement when working on all roads where the speed limit is less that 40mph, EN471 Class 2 is required. The lowest level of protection, EN471 Class 1, should only be worn in areas of minimal risk, e.g. off road situations such as transport depots.
Waterproof Clothing
Waterproof garments are regulated by the safety standards of EN343. However, EN343 is subdivided into three sub-levels of protective clothing. EN343 Class 3 affords the highest level of foul weather protection. EN343 Class 2 provides intermediate foul weather protection, and EN343 Class 1 provides the lowest level of foul weather protection.
Head Protection
There are two types of protective headgear that provide two different levels of protection. EN397 - relates to industrial safety helmets and hard hats that provide protection against falling objects. EN812 – applies to baseball-style caps with an inner scalp guard liner to protect against accidental scrapes and bumps. Protective caps of this kind are not to be considered as proper safety helmets, and should not to be worn if there is a risk of being struck on the head by falling objects.
Hearing Protection
European legislation for ear defenders and ear plugs requires a minimum protection level of EN352.
Eye Protection
Protective eyewear, which includes safety goggles, protective glasses and face visors and spectacles are regulated by European directives and require a minimum protection level of EN166.
Safety Harness
Safety harnesses for working at various heights should always are coded in the following manners: EN361 is the minimum requirement for a full body safety harness, and EN354 regulates the lanyards used in PPE to prevent falls. The requirements for personal protective equipment and clothing are governed by current European legislation.
Protective Gloves
Industrial safety gloves designed to provide protection against mechanical risks fall under the EN388 classification. Gloves that provide protection against thermal hazards (heat and/or fire) are classified under EN407. For cold conditions, protective gloves require an EN511 classification. For protection against chemicals and micro-organisms, safety gloves require an EN374 classification, while EN12477 is the standard for the protective gloves used for welding.
Cold Store Clothing
EN342 is the minimum standard for protective clothing required in cool and cold environments.
Chainsaw Protection
EN381 - is the classification for protective equipment and safety clothing for those who use hand-held chainsaws. There are 11 sub-divisions within this particular classification, which cover different types of personal protective products, clothing and equipment, e.g. boots, gloves, jackets, and trousers, etc.
Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection equipment falls under the BS EN 149:2001 classification. Protective equipment provides basic breathing defence, such as filtering half masks to protect against dust and dangerous particles. Respiratory protection devices are often referred to by their differing levels of protection, for instance: Type 1, 2 or 3 or P1, P2 or P3.
The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplied by Dickies Store is specially designed to meet all of the requirements as stipulated by European legislation, and ensures that all workers are completely protected by the safety clothing that they wear, whatever the environment.Get the ultimate face, foot and total body protection, contact Dickies Store and place your order for the best in personal protective equipment now.
