Protective Clothing Category I
According to the “Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment”, PPE is classified into three main groups according to the risks taken in different types of work.
Specifically, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) belongs to Category I when it protects against minor physical risks, which do not cause irreversible injury. This PPE therefore protects against superficial injury caused by:
- Mechanical tools;
- Cleaning materials or prolonged contact with water;
- Contact with hot objects, not exceeding 50°C;
- Ordinary atmospheric phenomena in the course of professional activities;
- Minor collisions and vibrations that could cause permanent injury to vital organs;
- Eye injuries due to exposure to sunlight (not to be confused with injuries resulting from observation of the sun).
Category I PPE is designed so that the wearer can assess its effectiveness. Another important feature, defined in the “Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment”, is that every garment or device belonging to this category must have a CE declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer, and the CE marking must be placed on the PPE and its packaging.
