UNI EN 14058
Protective clothing for cold environments

The UNI EN 14058 standard specifies the requirements and test methods of individual items of safety clothing against the effects of environments with temperatures ranging from -5°C to 10°C. Garments produced according to this standard must not only protect against the effects of low air temperatures but also against humidity and air velocity.

Headgear, footwear or gloves to prevent local colds are excluded from the standard.

A cold environment is characterized by combinations of wind, humidity and temperature. It is essential to protect yourself from these environmental conditions, in order not to harm your physical health and to fully concentrate on the work at hand.

Scope of application

According to the UNI EN 14058 standard, some examples of workplaces with a cool climate are:

• Unheated warehouses and sheds;
• Cooled warehouses, e.g. for food companies;
• Goods unloading and loading areas
• Building sites;
• Road construction sites;
• Airports;
• Railway sector (if the garment includes reflective bands);
• Agricultural sector;
• Food companies.

General requirements for safety clothing for cold environments

The UNI EN 14058 standard defines the requirements for protective clothing for cool environments. Each test they are subjected to must be reported next to the pictogram. Specifically:

• Thermal resistance (Rct): it is measured on all layers of the fabric and indicates the amount of dry heat that can pass through the fabric.

Thermal Insulation	Rct in m2.K/W
Class 1	0,06 < Rct < 0,12
Class 2	0,12 < Rct < 0,18
Class 3	0,18 < Rct < 0,25

 

With a value greater than 0.25, the EN 342 standard applies. On the label, this value is the highest top number (a);

• Air permeability: the permeability of the fabric is measured and divided into 3 classes, with class 3 providing maximum protection. This value is optional. When present, it is written under the Rct (b) value;
• Water impermeability: this concerns the impermeability of fabric and seams classified into two classes.

Water resistance	WP in pa
Class 1	8000 < WP < 13000
Class 2	WP > 13000

 

This value is optional (c), if specified it is also necessary to determine the water vapour transmission coefficient which must not be greater than 55.

• Thermal insulation: this optional test can be executed in two ways: with a moving doll (Icler, d value) and with a static doll (Icler, e value).

When a garment has not undergone all tests, an X appears in place of the value.

Visit the website to see the full range of Protective clothing for cold environments