UNI EN ISO 11611
Welding Workwear

The UNI EN ISO 11611 standard specifies the basic minimum safety requirements and test methods for safety clothing designed to be worn during welding and related processes that present similar risks. This standard includes hoods, aprons, sleeves (but not gloves and PPE for hand protection), gaiters, designed to protect the wearer’s body.

Welding Risks

The risk factors to which welding workers may be exposed are multiple and can be divided into two main types: chemical risks and physical risks.

The chemical risks associated with welding operations come from the development of welding fumes. Welding fume is a complex mixture of more than 40 chemical, inorganic and organic components that are released during the heating phase and eventual melting of the workpiece. Obviously, the composition and concentration of the relative chemical agents present in the welding fumes are rigidly dependent on the material being welded, the composition of the electrode, any filler material and substances covering the workpiece. The most significant risk associated with welding fumes is represented by the presence, in variable percentages, of metals in a vapour or particulate state;

Physical hazards arise from exposure to non-ionizing radiation, high temperatures and noise. The flame, and to a greater extent the electric arc, emit optical radiation in both the visible and invisible spectrum. Ultraviolet radiations, the most energetic of the non-ionizing radiations and therefore the most dangerous, are almost totally absorbed by the protective surface layers of the skin and can cause second-degree burns. For this reason, clothing must cover the entire chest up to the wrists and the entire leg up to the ankle, providing protection even from accidental contact with molten metal splashes.

Noise can be determined by ordinary oxyacetylene flame welding operations, as well as by the possibility of an electric arc, obviously with a different manifestation on the hearing threshold.

In addition to the risks directly or indirectly linked to welding operations, there are also those related to the place and conditions of work (falling objects, crushing of limbs, the entanglement of the limbs in moving parts, working at height, etc.) and to the type of equipment used (electricity, gas cylinders, pipes etc.). Ultimately, the microclimate, repetitive movements and incongruous postures must be taken into account.

General requirements

Saldatore con tuta antinfortunistica pesante, comprendente visiera e guanti

Accident prevention workwear for welders, according to UNI EN ISO 11611, must be made with specific characteristics such as:

They must avoid the conduction of electricity from the outside to the inside;
Pockets with external openings must be covered by a flap, with the exception of the side pockets sewn below the waist, (which must not have an inclination greater than 10 from the side seam) and the side rule pockets (which must have an opening of 75 mm in size and must be placed behind the side seam);
The flaps must have a length of 2 cm so that they cannot be inserted inside the pockets, they must be sewn down or be able to keep the pocket closed and must cover the various fastening systems;
The cuffs can be adjustable but cannot have turn-ups;
If fasteners are used, they must allow complete closure with a locking slide fastener;
The cuffs can be adjustable but cannot have turn-ups. Any fasteners and folds that may be created must be at the back of the cuff;
The neck opening must be fitted with a fastening system;
Trousers can have side openings with a covered fastening system and the bottom must not have a turn-up. Fasteners and folds on the outside of the garment must be on the inside of the garment.

More on the 11611 standard

The belonging classes

The UNI EN ISO 11611:2015 standard divides clothing into two classes based on different characteristics such as:

Class 1	Class 2
Type of process
Low levels of molten metal splash and radiant heat Gas welding (acetylene) TIG welding (tungsten inert gas) MIG welding (metal inert gas) MMA welding (manual metal arc – rutile electrode) Micro-Plasma welding Brazing Spot welding	Higher levels of molten metal splash and radiant heat MMA welding (manual metal arc – basic or cellulosic electrode) MAG welding (metal active gas) MIG welding (metal inert gas with high current) Plasma welding
Type of work
Machinery Oxy-fuel cutting machine Plasma cutting machine Resistence pressure wedling machine Thermal spraying Welding tables	Machinery In enclosed spaces When welding/working that above head height or in difficult positions
Splash impact For a temperature increase of 40K to occur
15 drops	25 droops
Radiant heat transfer with a heat flux density of 20Kw/m2, the radiant heat transfer index RHTI-for 24° C (RHTI 24)
RHTI 24 ≥ 7s	RHTI 24 ≥ 16s

Test methods

The UNI EN ISO 11611 standard defines two test methods that determine the flammability of the garment.

A1: The garment with this marking has passed the ignition test on the surface of the garment, remaining intact;
A2: When the garment has passed the lower edge ignition test, it is marked with this symbol;
A1+A2: In this case, the garment passed both tests.