Introduction
There are many different chemical protective suits commercially available, and although they are CE certifi ed, there are very wide ranging performance differences for products meeting the same certifi cation Types . Faced with a bewildering choice and the complexity of the certifi cation information, what criteria should be used to select the right protective clothing? A short summary of the European standards for chemical protective clothing and a chemical protective clothing selection guide is provided to assist you in this task. Additional information on CE marking can be found in Annexe 2.
CE Marking To facilitate the choice of garment, the European Union has defi ned harmonised product standards for six levels of protection (referred to as Types ) within Category III chemical protective clothing (see table below). The certifi cation of a suit to a particular protection type represents its overall tightness against a particular form of exposure (gas, pressurised liquids, sprays and dust).
It should be noted that its certifi cation does not necessarily mean that the suit is 100% impervious to this type of exposure. It only means that the suit meets the minimum requirements of the specifi c product standard. The manufacturer is also obliged to state the performance levels of the constituent materials and seams, known as performance Classes .
GARMENT SELECTION: A LIFE SAVING CHOICE
Type and Pictogram* Definition and Exposure Level
Product Standard and Year of publication
T1 TYPE 1
TYPE 1 - ET
Gas-Tight TYPE 1 Protective clothing against liquid and gaseous chemicals, including liquid aerosols and solid particles. TYPE 1 - ET Performance requirements for emergency teams.
EN 943-1:2002** EN 943-2:2002
T2 TYPE 2
Non-Gas-Tight Protective clothing against liquid and gaseous chemicals, including liquid aerosols and solid particles.
EN 943-1:2002**
T3 TYPE 3
Liquid Tight Protective clothing against liquid chemicals. Exposure to pressurised jet of liquid.
EN 14605:2005/A1:2009
TYPE 4
Spray Tight Protective clothing against liquid chemicals. Exposure to a liquid spray aerosol (unpressurised).
EN 14605:2005/A1:2009
TYPE 5
Solid Particulates Protective clothing against solid-airborne particulates.
EN ISO 13982-1:2004/A1:2010
TYPE 6
Limited protective performance against liquid chemicals Potential exposure to small quantities of fi ne spray/mist or accidental low volume splashes and where wearers are able to take timely adequate action in case of contamination.
EN 13034:2005/A1:2009
* DuPont Pictogram. ** Amended in 2005.
Chemical Protective Clothing, Category III
Other Relevant Standards
Pictogram Definition Standard and Year* ** Protective Clothing with Electrostatic properties material performance
and design requirements. EN 1149-5:2008
*** Protective clothing against radioactive contamination. EN 1073-2 :2002
Protective Clothing with protection against heat and fl ame-Limited fl ame spread materials, material assemblies and clothing.
Three Index (levels) of protection are defi ned Index 1 performance: single use and no pre-cleaning or laundering. Index 1 materials limit the fl ame spread, but will melt and must always be worn on top of Index 2 or 3 garments.
EN ISO 14116:2008
Protective clothing (fabrics) against infective agents (indicate by a B e.g. Type 3-B) and comprising several fabric protection test methods. EN 14126:2003
High-visibility clothing - Test methods and requirements. EN ISO 20471:2013
* As standards are continuously revised the year of publication is subject to change. ** Antistatic treatments on DuPont chemical protective clothing are only effective in relative humidity >25% and when the garment and wearer are continuously and correctly grounded. *** Does not protect against ionizing radiation.
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